In the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, part of NYU Long Island School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery, our mission is to provide world-class clinical care for people with bowel-related conditions and improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Simultaneously, we aim to train tomorrow’s leaders in in the field and conduct research that innovates surgical techniques.

Our surgeons offer expert surgical care in a wide variety of conditions of the colon, rectum, and anus. These include colon and rectal cancer; inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); diverticular disease; anorectal conditions such as hemorrhoids, fistulas, and fissures; and functional bowel disorders including fecal incontinence, rectal prolapse, and slow transit constipation.

We use the latest in diagnostic and treatment options with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopic and robotic surgery and transanal minimally invasive surgery. These procedures improve outcomes and may make it easier for patients to recover from colorectal surgery.

Colon and Rectal Surgery Education

Our surgeons train physicians in the General Surgery Residency, an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)–accredited program. The residency offers world-class training in a wide range of surgical subspecialties, including colon and rectal surgery.

A key element of the residency program is progressive responsibility. Surgical and medical decision-making are taught in both clinical and didactic settings.

Colon and Rectal Surgery Research

Our team in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery conducts research to help improve surgical techniques to enhance treatment for colon and rectal cancer and functional bowel disorders. Research includes participation in a multi-institutional randomized clinical trial on ileus management, active participant in the Janus Rectal Cancer Trial, and ongoing research related to rectal cancer. Our goal is to improve survival, quality of life, and clinical outcomes for our patients.

Colon and Rectal Surgery Clinical Services

Our colon and rectal surgeons are committed to providing outstanding patient care guided by the most advanced research.

At NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, we have dedicated multidisciplinary teams that improve outcomes. Our surgeons are certified by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, have received advanced training, and are nationally and internationally recognized for their treatment of patients with the following colon and rectal conditions:

• colon and rectal cancer
• inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• diverticular disease, including diverticulitis
• rectal prolapse
• hemorrhoids
• anal fistulas
• pilonidal disease
• fecal incontinence

Our rectal cancer program involves all NYU Langone hospitals and includes experts from surgery, oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, and radiology. We also work closely with experts from NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Our new Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at NYU Langone Ambulatory Care Lake Success centralizes the care of adults with conditions including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, and here we offer expert care in gastroenterology and surgery under one ceiling. Our surgeons have extensive experience in J-pouch surgery, intestinal resections, and bowel-preserving surgery, ostomies, and reoperative abdominal and pelvic surgery.

Colon and Rectal Surgery Faculty

Toyooki Sonoda, MD
Patrick A. Hartendorp, MD
Matthew Symer, MD

Contact Us

For more information about the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, please email Dr. Sonoda, division chief, at toyooki.sonoda@nyulangone.org.