Meet The Doctors

Shawn M. Garber

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Garber is the founder of New York Bariatric Group. He has performed thousands of bariatric surgeries including sleeve gastrectomies, over 3500 Lap Bands, and 3500 gastric bypasses. A leader in his field, Dr. Garber also helped develop the single incision Lap-Band and sleeve gastrectomy techniques. He is asked to teach other surgeons around the country this virtually scarless technique. His surgical skills, combined with his bedside manner, earn substantial praise from patients.

Spencer A. Holover

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Prior to joining New York Bariatric Group. Dr. Holover was the Clinical Professor of Surgery at The University of Pittsburgh. During this time he performed cutting edge research, gave presentations at major national meetings, and helped train surgeons around the country. Dr. Holover was one of the first surgeons to perform a gastric sleeve, and also one of the first surgeons to publish a clinical gastric sleeve article. He has done thousands of weight loss surgeries, and has won multiple awards including placement on the “Top Doctors” list and “Most Compassionate” list.

Eric A. Sommer

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Sommer is a native of New York. Although he went to California for college, and Boston for surgical training, he is proud to return to NYC to perform bariatric surgery. To advance his knowledge and surgical expertise, Dr. Sommer completed a fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic, Bariatric, and Robotic Surgery. He brings his skill to New York Bariatric Group, where he performs a variety of weight loss surgeries for patients.

Nikhilesh R. Sekhar

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Sekhar is a New York native who is a Board Certified Bariatric and General Surgeon. After graduating from medical school, he received his general surgery and trauma training at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, NY. He then completed a fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery at Vanderbilt. In addition to performing extensive weight loss surgeries, Dr. Sekhar is an expert in treating reflux and hernias.

Jeffrey W. Chiao

MD, FACS, FASMBS

A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Dr. Chiao is a Board Certified Bariatric and General Surgeon. He developed an interest in minimally invasive techniques in all aspects of surgery, especially bariatrics, and decided to pursue advanced training. Following general surgery training, Dr. Chiao completed a fellowship in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, and has now joined New York Bariatric Group to treat patients locally.

Pankti Patel

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Patel is American Board of Surgery certified as well with the daVinci System for Robotic Surgery. Additionally, she is an active member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons.

Sherard Chiu

MD

A graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine. Dr. Chiu completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Bariatric Surgery from the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. Dr. Chiu is certified with the daVinci System for robotic surgery and is American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship Certified.

Kevin Small

MD

Dr. Kevin Small is a well-known innovator and an educator in the fields of plastic and reconstructive surgery. He has received many honors and awards citing his excellence in academics, teaching, and research from prestigious organizations such as the American Society of Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation.

Channing Chin

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Chin is a native of Louisiana. He has trained extensively in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery and has practiced on both east and west coasts.

Elizabeth Godshall

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Godshall is a New York native, born and raised in Westchester County, New York. Dr. Godshall completed her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at Smith College in Northampton, MA. She earned her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA where she was honored by induction into the AOA Honor Medical Society.

Edward Cussatti

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Cussatti is a board certified general and bariatric surgeon who completed his general surgery training at The Stamford Hospital, Stamford, CT. He then went on to complete his specialty training in minimally invasive surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.

Cynthia Weber

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Weber is a graduate of a combined B.S/ M.D. program at Kent State University and Northeastern Ohio Universities’ College of Medicine. This program allows select students to complete undergraduate and medical school studies in 6 years rather than the typical 8 years. In addition to this unique program, she was inducted into the AOA Honor Medical Society in medical school. While completing her general surgery residency at Loyola University Medical Center, she dedicated part of her training to research- advancing the science of surgery. She published extensively and presented her work nationally and internationally.

Robert Felte

MD, FACS

Dr. Felte completed his Bachelor of Science with honors at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Dr. Felte completed his post-baccalaureate pre-medicine education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.

Harvey Rainville

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Harvey Rainville is a board certified General and Bariatric surgeon. Originally from Dallas Texas, he completed his undergraduate education at Baylor University.

Kartik Gohil

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Kartik Gohil was raised in Baroda, India. After completing his high school in the top 1 percentile of his class, he proceeded to complete his medical training at esteemed Baroda Medical College at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He graduated top of his class. He completed his General Surgery Residency at Michigan State University, Lansing. From there he pursued specialty training in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Stony Brook University Medical Center, NY.

Naveen Ballem

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Naveen Ballem and his family are excited to be back and established in the town where he was raised. He attended the Montclair Kimberley Academy, where he was awarded a Garden State Scholarship. He then moved to Boston for further education at Boston College. Dr. Ballem completed his General Surgery residency in New York City, and then pursued specialty training at The Cleveland Clinic in both Endocrine & Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery.

Anish Shah

MD

Dr. Shah started his education in 2006 at Columbia University in New York City. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry and Economics. He then went on to pursue his medical school training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and completed his general surgery residency at Stony Brook Medicine, where he developed a profound interest in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery.

M. Shuja Shafqat

MD

Dr. M. Shuja Shafqat is a board-certified plastic surgeon with NYBG Plastic Surgery, a subsidiary of New York Bariatric Group. He has extensive training in all aspects of plastic surgery including body contouring, post-bariatric procedures, facial cosmetic surgery, cosmetic breast surgery, and reconstruction from head to toe. In addition, he as additional training and expertise in reconstruction, complex cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery, revisional breast surgery, skin cancer reconstruction and hernia repairs.

Glenn Forrester

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Glenn Forrester is a graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, with a bachelor’s degree in biology and earned his medical degree from St. George’s University in Grenada. He completed a six-year surgical residency at the combined program of Our Lady of Mercy and Lincoln Medical Centers in the Bronx. His fourth year of residency was devoted to clinical research in bariatric surgery where he focused on weight loss outcomes in various populations.

Alph Emmanuel

MD

Dr. Emmanuel was born and raised in India. He completed medical school at St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore, India. He completed his internship in general surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, CT and general surgery residency at the University of Connecticut in Farmington, CT.

Paul Enochs

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Enochs has been in the practice of bariatric surgery for over 20 years and has performed over 10,000 procedures. He remains on the forefront of cutting-edge technology and specializes in revisional bariatric surgery and robotic surgery. He is a leading expert nationwide in Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) as well as the Sleeve Gastrectomy with Single Anastamosis Duodenoilial Bypass (SIPS/SADS/SADI-S).

Vadim Gritsus

MD

Dr. Gritsus received his medical degree from Pavlov Medical University in St. Petersburg, Russia. He conducted research at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia Department of Cardiology on cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

Angela Glasnapp

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Angela Glasnapp graduated Cum Laude from the State University of New York at Albany before earning a Masters Degree in Biology from Allegheny University in Philadelphia, PA. She attended medical school at New York Medical College in Westchester, NY and then completed a general surgery residency at St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in Manhattan.

Brett Simenhoff

MD, ABOM

Dr. Simenhoff is a highly qualified surgeon with a background in general surgery and a specialization in minimally invasive bariatric surgery. He completed his general surgery residency at Mount Sinai in New York and a fellowship at Fresno Heart and Surgical Hospital in California.

Anish Nihalani

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Specializing in cutting-edge weight-loss surgery techniques, Dr. Nihalani offers a range of procedures such as gastric balloon, sleeve gastrectomy, Lap-Band, and gastric bypass surgery. In addition to his expertise in bariatric surgery, he also provides general and laparoscopic surgery services for various conditions such as hernia repair, gallstones, lipoma, and pilonidal cysts. With a strong commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in medical technology, Dr. Nihalani maintains active memberships in prestigious medical organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA), American College of Surgeons (ACS), and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

Melissa Mastroianni

MD

Dr. Melissa Mastroianni is a dual board-certified plastic surgeon by the America Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. She completed two residencies, general and plastic surgery, and has a wide breadth of experience treating patients from head to toe. She has extensive training in plastic surgery and is proficient in microsurgery for breast reconstruction, limb salvage, craniofacial trauma and aesthetics.

Alexander D. Abkin

MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Alexander Abkin is a highly experienced bariatric surgeon, and a board-certified general surgeon. Under his leadership, the practice has performed over 11,000 bariatric procedures in the past 23 years. Procedures currently performed include Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Adjustable Gastric Banding, Revisional Bariatric Surgery, and Anti-Reflux (GERD) Surgery.

Willo Wisotsky

PhD

Dr. Willo Wisotsky is a licensed psychologist in the state of New York. She earned her Clinical Health Ph.D. from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. Dr. Wisotsky holds faculty positions at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, and Suffolk Community College. Her research and clinical work primarily focus on eating disorders and obesity, as well as the associated medical and mental health conditions that often coexist with these issues.

Natania Ostrovsky

PhD

Dr. Natania Ostrovsky is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and Connecticut. She obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Health Psychology from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. Dr. Ostrovsky possesses extensive experience in both clinical practice and research within the field of health psychology. Her particular areas of expertise include cognitive behavioral therapy, enhancing health behaviors, and addressing obesity-related concerns.

Gregory J. Schilero

MD

Dr. Schilero earned an M.S. degree from Tufts University and an M.D. from Hahnemann University. He completed his medical residency and fellowship at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Schilero holds board certifications in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine. Following the completion of his Pulmonary Medicine fellowship, he continued his work at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, serving as the Associate Director for the Lung and Heart/Lung Transplantation program as well as the Sleep Center for a period of four years.

Dr. Roberta Lenner

Pulmonologist

Dr. Roberta Lenner completed her medical education at the University of Pecs Medical and Health Sciences Centre in Hungary in 1991. She later moved to the United States and underwent a residency program in internal medicine at Greenwich Hospital and Yale University School of Medicine in Connecticut. During her residency, she developed a keen interest in pulmonary physiology. Dr. Lenner further pursued her training by completing a fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where she focused on researching pulmonary disease and its impact on critical bodily functions.

David Rabinowitz

DO

Dr. Rabinowitz was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He completed his Bachelor of Science at Florida International University, medical degree at Nova Southeastern University and residency in anesthesiology at Larkin Community Hospital, Florida. Following residency, he practiced in New York City with Long Island Anesthesia Physicians, where a substantial anesthesia volume was with bariatric patients at Mercy Medical Center. Dr. Rabinowitz continues his work with bariatric patients to ensure safe, pain-free procedures at New York Bariatric Group.

Aviva Kamath

MD, FCCP

Dr. Kamath is a board-certified physician specializing in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. She completed her fellowship at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and her medical residency at NYU Winthrop Hospital. Prior to joining the New York Bariatric Group, she worked in the Mount Sinai Health System as a Pulmonary and Critical Care attending.

In addition to being part of our pre-operative team, Dr. Kamath is a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and a recipient of the American Thoracic Society Fellows Track Symposium Award. She has served on graduate medical education committees, has been a peer reviewer for the British Medical Journal and was honored by Soledad O’Brien’s PowHERful Foundation for her ongoing work as a youth mentor in the community.

Ronny Chadi

MD

Dr. Chadi graduated from the University of California-Berkeley earning a bachelor’s degree with honors in Biochemistry. He then went on to pursue his medical school training at The Medical College of Wisconsin earning his MD in 1989.At NYBG, Dr. Chadi provides comprehensive evaluations and preoperative testing to help patients undergoing bariatric procedures optimize their weight loss goals.

Cory Schneider

MD

Dr. Schneider is a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology.  He completed his training at NYU medical center.  Dr. Schneider has served as both a clinical practitioner and a Director of Ambulatory Anesthesia for practices throughout the New York area.  For over 20 years, Dr. Schneider has been proud to keep patients safe and comfortable both during their procedures and for the duration of their care.