Pediatric Surgical Oncologist
Chief, Pediatric Surgical Service
About Me
I am a pediatric surgeon and Chief of the Pediatric Surgical Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering. I have dedicated my life to caring for children, particularly those with cancer. I take care of children and teenagers with many types of tumors and malignancies, and perform about 200 surgeries each year.
I have been a pediatric surgeon for nearly two decades. In those years, I have developed new methods to make surgical procedures more predictable and straightforward for various cancers. I prefer a team approach in the operating room. Working with a group of highly skilled surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other experts allows for the best possible outcomes. I am very excited to continue my research in high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) at MSK. This noninvasive procedure uses sound waves to pinpoint a tumor and destroy it. HIFU has the potential to offer another treatment option for children who have tumors that cannot be removed through surgery. My hope is that in time, fewer children will need surgery. This treatment could reduce surgical complications and improve overall survival, especially for children whose cancers have returned. When I meet a child with cancer, I aim to present the situation and how we are going to approach it as clearly as possible. Families deserve a considerable amount of time to digest all the new information coming their way. I am happy to speak with them as many times as it takes for everyone to understand the plan and feel confident about it. And when a child is old enough to understand what is going on, it is important to involve them in the decision-making as much as possible. I recognize the tremendous level of trust that families place in us. It is very important to me that everyone feels comfortable and that they feel that they are in the best of hands.
See My Colleagues
Publications
Fahy A, Roberts A, Nasr A, Irwin M, Gerstle JT. Long term outcomes after concurrent ipsilateral nephrectomy versus kidney-sparing surgery for high-risk, intraabdominal neuroblastoma. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2018.
Dziegielewski C, Contreras R, Weitzman S, Gerstle JT. Pediatric gastrointestinal post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder: incidence, clinical features, and impact of surgical intervention on overall survival. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. 2018.
Fonseca A, Shaikh F, Ramphal R, Ng V, McGilvray I, Gerstle JT. Extreme hepatic resections for the treatment of advanced hepatoblastoma: are planned close margins an acceptable approach? Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018 Feb; 65(2).
Kkolin D, Duan K, Ngan B, Gerstle JT, Kryzkanoska M, Somers G, Mete O. Expanding the spectrum of colonic manifestations in tuberous sclerosis: L-cell neuroendocrine tumor arising in the background of rectal pecoma. Endocrine Pathology. 2017 Jul 21.
Romao RL, Weber B, Gerstle JT, Grant R, Pippi Salle JL, Bägli DJ, Figueroa VH, Braga LH, Farhat WA, Koyle MA, Lorenzo AJ. Comparison between laparoscopic and open radical nephrectomy for the treatment of primary renal tumors in children: single-center experience over a 5-year period. J Pediatr Urol. 2014 Jun 1;10(3):488-94.
Rogers EM, Casadiego Cubides G, Lacy J, Gerstle JT, Kives S, Allen L. Preoperative risk stratification of adnexal masses: can we predict the optimal surgical management? J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2014 Jun 1;27(3):125-8.
Visit PubMed for a full listing of J. Ted Gerstle’s journal articles
Clinical Trials
As home to one of the world’s top cancer research centers, Memorial Sloan Kettering is typically involved in more than 900 clinical trials at a given time. Currently, clinical trials focused on the conditions I treat are enrolling new patients. If you’re interested in joining a clinical trial, click to learn about the trial’s purpose, eligibility criteria, and how to get more information.
Learn moreInsurance
Most major health insurers offer plans that include MSK as one of their in-network providers. If MSK is in-network, it means all our doctors are too. Medicaid and New York State Medicare also provide benefits for care at MSK.
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