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Dr. Guillermo Higa’s Curriculum Vitae

Education

Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, City of Córdoba, Argentina – 03/1994 – 03/2000

  • Medico Cirujano (Doctor of Medicine)

Teaching Assistant/Intern/Resident – 03/2000-02/2003

  • Hospital San Bernardo, Department of Surgery, Salta, Argentina

Medical Research Fellowships

Minimally Invasive Surgery – 03/2003-06/2004

  • Cleveland Clinic, Weston, Florida USA (research fellowship in bariatric and

Surgery Fellowship – 06/2010-06/2011

  • Cleveland Clinic, Weston, Florida USA: Minimally Invasive and Bariatric

Intership

General Surgery Intern – 7/2004-6/2005

New York Hospital Queens
56-45 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
Phone Number: (718) 670-1231

General Surgery Residency – 2005-2010

University of Arizona
1501 N Campbell Ave
Tucson, AZ 85724-5058
Phone Number: (520) 626-7747
Fax: (520) 626-4334

Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship (2010-2011)

  • Cleveland Clinic – Weston, Florida

General Surgery / Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery (2012-2018)

  • Willamette Valley Medical Center – McMinnville ,Oregon
  • Minimally Invasive Bariatric Surgery Medical Director at Willamette Valley Medical Center – McMinnville, Oregon
  • Trauma Medical Director at Willamette Valley Medical Center – McMinnville, Oregon

Present Job

  • Tucson Weight Loss Surgery (2018-Current)
  • Minimally Invasive Bariatric Surgery Medical Director at St. Mary’s Hospital and Carondelet Healthcare Network

Academic Publications

Book Chapters:

  • R. Rosenthal,MD;S. Szomstein MD; N. Zundel MD; G.Higa MD; E. Chousleb MD;David Podkameni, MD; Cirugia Videoendoscopica y percutanea para cirujanos generales. Edited by Saad and Gimenez , Laparoscopic Surgery in the management of Morbid Obesity, 2004.
  • Guillermo Higa MD; Rosenthal R. MD Chapter 75: Alimentary Tract Obstruction. Netter’s Gastroenterology and Hepatology .Publisher: Saunders; 1 edition (December 1, 2004).
  • Guillermo Higa MD; Rosenthal R. Chapter 76: Mesenteric Vascular Occlusion. Netter’s Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Publisher: Saunders; 1 edition (December 1, 2004).
  • Guillermo Higa MD; Rosenthal R. Chapter 77: Other Vascular Lesions. Netters Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Publisher: Saunders; 1 edition (December 1, 2004).
  • Berkowski D, Chousleb E, Szomstein S, Zundel N, Brasesco O, Podkameni D, Lomenzo E, Soto Flavia C, Higa G, Rosenthal R. , Programa de Actualizacion en Cirugia (PROACI), Laparoscopic Surgery for the management of Morbid Obesity , 06 / 2004 , Volume: 2, Pages: 89-147.
  • Guillermo Higa MD; Latifi MD: A Difficult Abdomen: Surgery of Complex Abdominal wall Defects Jul 2013, Pages 47-58.

Peer-reviewed Research Publications:

  • Soto, F; Higa, G; Mehran, A; Szomstein, S; Zundel, N; Rosenthal, R. Laparoscopic Surgery of the Liver. Revista Mexicana de Cirugia Endoscopica. Vol.4 No.2 Apr-June, 2003.
  • Soto, F; Higa, G; Szomstein, S; Zundel, N; Rosenthal, R. Cirugia Laparoscopic Surgery of the Biliary Tract. Revista Mexicana de Cirugia Endoscopica. Vol.4 No.3 Jul-Sep., 2003.
  • Higa-Sansone, G; Szomstein, S; Chousleb, E; Mehran, A; Pimentel, R; Zundel, N; Rosenthal, R. Difficult access of the biliary tract after Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass. Case report and review of the Literature. . Revista Mexicana de Cirugia Endoscopica. Vol.4 No.3 Jul-Sep., 2003.
  • Higa- Sansone, G; Szomstein S; Soto, F. Psoriasis Remision after Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y – Gastric Bypass for Morbid Obesity. Obesity Surgery 14,1132-1134, September 2004.
  • Soto, F; Szomstein, S; Higa-Sansone, G; Mehran, A; Zundel, N; Rosenthal, R. Esophageal perforation during laparoscopic placement of adjustable gastric band: Case report and review of the literature. Obesity Surgery. January 2004. Volume 14, Number 3 / March, 2004.
  • F. Arias, S. Szomstein, L. Carrodeguas, P. Antozzi, A. Villares, D. Podkameni, C. Kennedy, Flavia C. Soto, E. Lo Menzo, E. Chousleb, G. Higa, N. Zundel, E. Locatelli, R. Rosenthal; Myasthenia gravis improvement after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass; Obesity Surgery, 15(4): 591-94, April 2005.
  • P. Antozzi, Flavia C. Soto, F. Arias, G. Higa, E. Chousleb, D. Podkameni, C. Kennedy, A. Villares, E. Lo Menzo, T. Ropos, N. Zundel, S. Szomstein, and R. Rosenthal; Development of acute gouty attack in the morbidly obese population after bariatric surgery; Obesity Surgery, 15 (3): 405-407, March 2005.
  • Laparoscopic Removal of Gastric Band after Early Gastric Erosion: Case Report and review of the literature. Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques. Feb 2005, Vol 5, issue 1 Chousleb, Elias MD; Szomstein, Samuel MD; Lomenzo, Emanuele MD; Higa, Guillermo MD; Podkameni, David MD; Soto, Flavia MD; Zundel, Natan MD, FACS; Rosenthal, Raul MD, FACS
  • Renal Failure, Glomerulonephritis and Morbid Obesity: Improvement after Rapid Weight Loss following Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass . Flavia Soto MD; Guillermo Higa MD; Raul Rosenthal MD. Obesity Surgery 15, January 2005.
  • Ramon Mourelo, MD; Flavia C. Soto, MD; Guillermo Higa-Sansone, MD; Samuel Szomstein MD; David Podkameni MD; Amir Mehran MD; Raul Rosenthal, MD. Use of Bovine Pericardium in Partial Gastric Resection: Report of a Case Bariatric times April 2006.
  • Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with linear cutter technique: Comparison of four versus six-row staple lines Patricio Cal, Raul Gomez, Fernando Arias, Priscilla Antozzi, David Podkameni, Colleen Kennedy, Alexander Villares, Flavia Soto, Emmanuel Lo 4 Menzo, Elias Chousleb, Guillermo Higa, Nathan Zundel, Samuel Szomstein, Raul Rosenthal. Surgery for Obesity and related diseases. Volume 2,Issue 4, Pages 431-434 (July 2006).
  • Guillermo Higa-Sansone MD; Luis leon MD. Management of a Ruptured Vertebral Artery Pseudoaneurysm in a patient with Neurofibromatosis. Vascular. 2010 May-Jun;18(3):166-77.
  • Guillermo Higa MD, Peter Rhee MD. Damage control Laparotomy. A tool once over utilized.  J Trauma. 2010 Jul;69(1):53-9.

Presentations

  • Higa-Sansone G., Szomstein S, Soto Flavia C., Brasesco O, Cohen C, Rosenthal R; Remission of psoriasis after Laparoscopic Roux-Y Gastric Bypass; 74th Argentinian Congress of Surgery; Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 9- 12, 2003.
  • Soto Flavia C., Higa -Sansone G; LRYGBP: Our experience at the Cleveland ClinicFlorida; 74th Argentinian Congress of Surgery; Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 9-12, 2003.
  • Soto Flavia C., Higa -Sansone G., Brasesco O; Idiopatic Intracraneal Hypertension and Morbid Obesity: Our experience at Cleveland Clinic Florida; 74th Argentinian Congress of Surgery; November 9- 12, 2003.
  • Higa-Sansone, G; Soto, F; Brasesco, O; Szomstein, S; Rosenthal, R. Pseudotumor Cerebrii and Surgery for Morbid Obesity: Our experience at the Cleveland Clinic Florida. Podium Presentation. 74th Argentine Congress of Surgery. November 8-12,2003.
  • Natan Zundel MD, FACS, Elias Chousleb MD, Fernando Arias MD, Maria de los Angeles Roversi MD, Samuel Szomstein MD, Guillermo Higa MD, Flavia Soto MD, David Podkameni MD, Emanuele Lo Menzo MD, Colleen Kennedy MD, Raul Rosenthal MD, FACS, Revista Mexicana de Cirugia Endoscopica , State of Art of the Minimally Invasive treatment for Achalasia, 2003 , Volume: 4 , Pages: 173-177.
  • Kennedy, C; Szomstein, S; Lomenzo, E; Podkameni, D; Chousleb, E; Soto, F; Higa, G;Liberman, M; Rosenthal, R. Direct visual insertion of the primary trocar in patients undergoing Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. 1000 cases experience. Podium Presentation. 9th World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Cancun, Mexico. February 2-7, 2004.
  • Lomenzo, E; Kennedy, C Podkameni, D; Villares, A; Chousleb, E; Soto, F; Higa, G; Szomstein, S; Rosenthal, R.Laparoscopic conversion of Nissen fundoplication to Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Video Presentation. 9th. World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Cancun, Mexico. February 2-7, 2004.
  • Chousleb, E; Szomstein, S; Lomenzo, E; Higa, G; Podkameni, D; Soto, F; Berkowski, D; Zundel, N; Rosenthal, R. Laparoscopic removal of gastric band after early gastricerosion. Case and review of literature. Podium Presentation. 9th. World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Cancun, Mexico.February 2-7, 2004.
  • Lomenzo, E; Kennedy, C Podkameni, D; Villares, A; Chousleb, E; Soto, F; Higa, G; Berkowski, D; Szomstein, S; Rosenthal, R. Laparoscopic revisions in Bariatric Surgery. Video Presentation. 9thWorld Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Cancun, Mexico.February 2-7, 2004.
  • Kennedy, C; Szomstein, S; Lomenzo, E; Podkameni, D; Chousleb, E; Soto, F; Higa, G; Villares, A; Rosenthal, R. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass after the age of 60: A safe alternative for weight loss. Podium Presentation. 9th. World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Cancun, Mexico.February 2-7, 2004.
  • Chousleb, E; Szomstein, S; Lomenzo, E; Higa, G; Podkameni, D; Soto, F; Kennedy, C; Zundel, N; Rosenthal, R. Routine use of abdominal drains after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Retrospective review of 593 patients. Podium Presentation. 9th World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Cancun, Mexico. February 2-7, 2004.
  • Podkameni, D; Lomenzo, E; Kennedy, C; Chousleb, E; Villares, A; Soto, F; Higa, G; Szomstein, S; Rosenthal, R.Various techniques of laparoscopic gastric tumor resection. 6 Video Presentation. 9th World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Cancun, Mexico. February 2-7, 2004.
  • Podkameni, D; Duarte, L.P.; Chousleb, E; Szomstein, S; HIga,G; Rosenthal, R Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) for treatment of empyema in children. Video Presentation. 9th.World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery. Cancun, Mexico. February 2-7, 2004.
  • Flavia Soto MD; Guillermo Higa-Sansone MD; Mariana Berho,MD; Samuel Szomstein MD; Raul Rosenthal MD,FACS.o , 15 th Annual Fellow, Resident and Medical Student Surgical Research Forum. University of Miami , Renal Failure, glomerulonephritis and morbid Obesity: resolution after rapid weight loss due to Roux-en-Y-gastric Bypass. Report of a case, April 2004.
  • Guillermo Higa-Sansone MD; Luis Leon MD. Rocky Mountain Vascular society. Popliteal Artery Stenting; The initial United States Experience with A Supera Stent. Podium Presentation July 2009.
  • Guillermo Higa MD, Peter Rhee MD. Damage control Laparotomy. A tool once over utilized. AAST meeting October 2009. Podium Presentation.
  • Ivan Fendrich MD, Flavia Soto MD, Guillermo Higa MD, Samuel Szomstein MD, Raul Rosenthal MD. Causes and results in bariatric surgery revisions. Podium Presentation at the 81st Argentine Congress of Surgery. Buenos Aires November 2010.

Posters

  • Higa-Sansone, G; Soto, F; Brasesco, O; Szomstein, S; Rosenthal, R. Total Remission of Psoriasis after Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Poster. 74th. Argentine Congress of Surgery. November 8-12,2003.
  • Dr. Guillermo Higa Sansone, Dra. Flavia C. Soto, Dr. Luciano Canavese, Dr. Samuel Szomstein, Dr. Raul Rosenthal, F.A.C.S.; Difficult Access to the biliary tract after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y-Gastric Bypass; Poster presented in the 75th Argentine Congress of Surgery, Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 11, 2004.
  • Dra. Flavia C. Soto, Dr. Guillermo Higa- Sansone, Dra. Priscila Antozzi, Dr. Samuel Szomstein, Dr. Rosenthal Raul, F.A.C.S.;Renal insufficiency, glomerulonephritis and morbid obesity: Resolution after rapid weight loss in gastric bypass ; Poster presented in the 75th Argentine Congress of Surgery. Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 11, 2004.
  • Dra. Flavia C. Soto, Dr. Elias Chousleb, Dr Guillermo Higa,Dr. Luciano Canavese, Dr. Samuel Szomstein, Dr. Raul Rosenthal, F.A.C.S.; Routine use of abdominal drains after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Retrospective review of 593 patients. Presented in the 75th Argentine Congress of Surgery. Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 11, 2004.
  • Szomstein, S; Kennedy, C; Lomenzo, E; Chousleb, E; Zundel, N; Soto, F; Higa, G; Mehran, A; Rosenthal, R. Incidence of Internal Hernias and Anastomotic Strictures after Laparoscopic Antecolic Antegastric Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Poster SAGES meeting. March 31-April 3, 2004.
  • Chousleb, E; Szomstein, S; Podkameni, D; Kennedy, C; Lomenzo, E; Zundel, N; Soto, F; Higa, G; Rosenthal, R. Routine use of Abdominal Drains after Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Retrospective review of 593 patients. Poster SAGES meeting. March 31-April 3, 2004
  • Guillermo Higa MD, Peter Rhee MD. Damage control Laparotomy. A tool once over utilized. Poster presentation at AAST meeting October 2009
  • Flavia Soto MD, Guillermo Higa MD, Raul Rosenthal, MD. Ten steps for a safe repair of paraesophageal hernias. 81st Argentine Congress of Surgery.

Examinations

  • 06/2001 USMLE Step 1, Passed
  • 09/2001 ECFMG- TOEFL, Passed
  • 05/2002 USMLE Step 2, Passed
  • 10/2002 ECFMG-CSA, Passed
  • 11/2009 USMLE Step 3, Passed
  • ECFMG Certification Date: 01/2003
  • Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
  • Language Fluency other than English: Spanish

Other Awards/ Accomplishments

  • “Dr Eduardo Schiepatti” Award, Best Poster: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: The Cleveland Clinic Experience. 74 th. Argentinian Congress of Surgery. Buenos Aires, Argentina. November 2003
  • Phil Jacob Resident Award/Lectures: 2nd price (Rocky Mountain Vascular Society)
  • Dr Whittacre chief resident of the year award
  • University of Arizona General Surgery chief resident of the year award
  • University of Arizona Trauma Resident of the Year award
  • Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) instructor
  • Willamette Valley Medical Center MBSAQIP Bariatric Center Accreditation
  • Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
  • Fellow of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
  • Bariatric Surgery Medical Director for the Carondelet healthcare Network Arizona
  • Vice chair of Surgery St Mary’s Hospital Tucson Arizona

Hobbies & Interests

  • Sports: Soccer, tennis, and golf
  • Hobbies: Spanish Guitar