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Colorectal surgeons join Eastern Long Island Hospital staff

Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport recently announced the appointment of two colorectal surgery specialists: Dr. Roberto Bergamaschi and Dr. Paula Denoya. Both focus on minimally invasive surgery for colon cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and diverticulitis, as well as surgical treatment of anorectal diseases. 

According to ELIH officials, Dr. Bergamaschi is one of the first colorectal surgeons in the nation to have mastered laparoscopic colorectal surgery. He offers several options for patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and is one of just a few surgeons in the country to perform intracorporeal laparoscopic colorectal surgery, which takes place entirely inside the body.

“Dr. Bergamaschi is internationally recognized for his expertise in laparoscopic surgery for colorectal diseases,” Paul Connor, president and CEO of ELIH, said in a statement. “We are very fortunate to have a surgeon of this caliber available to our patients on the East End of Long Island.”

Mr. Connor expressed similar sentiments about Dr. Denoya.

“Dr. Denoya is a wonderful addition to the surgical team,” he said. “A surgeon with this specialty will provide a high level of surgical expertise for the patients we serve.”

Both surgeons specialize in the treatment of diseases associated with colorectal conditions and disorders, including abscesses, polyps, colitis, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, constipation, Crohn’s disease, bowel obstructions and colon, rectal and anal cancers. Dr. Bergamaschi is a professor of surgery at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine, where he maintains an office. He also belongs to Stony Brook University Hospital’s division of colon and rectal surgery, where Dr. Denoya is an associate professor. In addition, Dr. Denoya is program director for Stony Brook University Hospital’s colorectal surgery residency program.

Dr. Bergamaschi still leads a one-year residency program at Stony Brook that trains surgeons in intracorporeal laparoscopic surgery and other colorectal surgical procedures.

“Though both conventional open surgery and laparoscopic-assisted surgery are safe and common procedures, there is less bleeding, less risk of infection, less pain and less scarring for the patient who undergoes the intracorporeal laparoscopic procedure,” he said in a statement.

Dr. Bergamaschi holds board certifications in several countries — including Italy, Denmark, France, Norway and the United States — and is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in England, the American Society of Colorectal Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.

He earned medical degrees from the School of Medicine at the University of Milan, Italy, and the School of Medicine at the University of Bergen, Norway.

Dr. Denoya, who is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colorectal Surgery, has received numerous awards from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, including the Eugene W. Freideman, M.D., Award for Clinical Excellence and the Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award. She earned her graduate degree at New York University and her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

On Monday, Dec. 12, Dr. Bergamaschi will be on the air on WLNG 92.1 FM with Frank Adipietro, M.D., ELIH’s medical staff president, to explain colorectal issues that are often difficult to understand. The hour-long program, “Frequently Asked Questions About Colorectal Care,” will give listeners the opportunity to call in with questions between 1 and 2 p.m.

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