Tumor Immunology Researcher and Surgeon Dr. Isaac Yi Kim Joins Medical Staff

NEW BRUNSWICK - Dr. Isaac Yi Kim, M.D., PhD., a specialist in robotic and minimally invasive surgery, has joined the medical staff of the Division of Urology of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, and the Division of Urologic Oncology of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the nationally recognized cancer research center affiliated with the hospital and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Dr. Kim joins a team of surgeons at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital who are recognized as leaders in the use of the latest technology including minimally invasive techniques that maximize patient recovery. He specializes in use of the da Vinci Surgical System for minimally invasive surgery of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer affects one in six men and is the most common form of cancer in men, except for skin cancer. In traditional surgery, the removal of the prostate involves a six-inch incision that can increase recovery time. The surgery also carries a risk of impotence and incontinence. With the da Vinci system, the surgeon operates a 3D console while a robot maneuvers through small incisions to allow more precise views of the prostate and surrounding tissue, as well as greater dexterity, with fewer side effects and shorter recovery times.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is one of only two hospitals in New Jersey designated to teach other surgeons the use of the da Vinci system.

Da Vinci has only been in use since 2001 and is changing the way prostate cancer surgery is done, according to Dr. Kim.

“Da Vinci allows the surgeon to perform laparoscopic surgery in patients where the traditional laparoscopic maneuvers are difficult to perform,” said Dr. Kim. “For example, in the pelvis of patients with prostate cancer, traditional laparoscopic instruments are difficult to use to complete the repair between the bladder and the urethra – the urine outflow channel. The end result is that the da Vinci allows me to remove a cancerous prostate through a small, keyhole incision, which allows for less pain, less blood loss, faster catheter removal and shorter hospital stays.”

“Prostate surgery using the da Vinci system is rapidly becoming the standard of care,” said Dr. Jonathan Hwang, Director of Robotic/Laparoscopic and Minimally Invasive Urology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “Already about a third of surgeries for prostate cancer are performed with da Vinci and we anticipate that will grow to 90 percent over the next few years. This creates more of a need for surgeons with expertise in robotics, like Dr. Kim.”

A graduate of Northwestern University Medical School and Graduate school with his M.D./Ph.D. in tumor cell biology, Dr. Kim also performs research in tumor immunology. Specifically, Dr. Kim’s research group is exploring various ways to overcome the suppressive effects on the immune system by tumor-derived factors. This branch of research seeks ways to allow immune cells to recognize and eradicate tumor cells. His work has been published in the Journal of Urology, Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research and The Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Kim has been appointed assistant professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and its Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Selected as one of four hospitals nationwide to offer the world's first self-contained implantable artificial heart, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.rwjuh.edu) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care in medicine. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women's and children's care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.

The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is ranked among the top 50 hospitals in the nation for both heart and heart surgery and respiratory disorders, according to U.S.News & World Report's 2008 ranking of "America's Best Hospitals." The American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer has rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is also a recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence for more than 10 consecutive years.

Attention members of the media: For more information on this release, please contact the Department of Public Relations (732) 937-8521.


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