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Memorial Sloan Kettering surgeon Paul Russo

Paul Russo, MD, FACS

Urologic Surgeon

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Kidney (renal cell) cancer and conditions
  • Metastatic kidney cancer

My Specialties

  • Radical nephrectomy
  • Partial nephrectomy
  • Clinical trials
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Dr. Russo's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

I am a urologic surgeon who specializes in caring for people with kidney (renal cell) cancer. I treat people with all stages of the disease, from small localized tumors to larger, more-advanced kidney cancers that have spread.

I have more than 30 years of experience and perform about 250 major operations each year.

This provider is part of a team that was ranked #1 in the nation for Urology Cancer Care this year by U.S. News & World Report.
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People who have been newly diagnosed with cancer can understandably be anxious about their illness and what lies ahead. My goal is to reassure the people who meet with me, to let them know that they are in excellent hands. I want them to be bolstered by the knowledge that my experienced team and I will customize their care to achieve the best possible outcome.

My area of expertise includes partial nephrectomy for people with smaller kidney tumors. In this surgery, we remove the tumor but leave the vast majority of the kidney alone. This approach preserves renal function and can prevent or delay the onset of chronic kidney disease and related cardiovascular problems.

I also perform complete removal of the kidney (radical nephrectomy) for people with large tumors that have destroyed most of the kidney. This procedure is for those with more-advanced cancers that have spread to the lymph nodes or the major veins that carry blood into the heart.

I often work with my colleagues in medical oncology to make these types of operations part of clinical trials. Through studies we can find out if new chemotherapies given before or after surgery can improve people’s outcomes.

In addition to caring for patients, I am known for my academic work in the field. I lead a research team at MSK with surgeons, oncologists, epidemiologists, pathologists, molecular biologists, and radiologists. We work diligently on both basic science and clinical aspects of kidney cancer. Members of our team publish many academic papers and present at national and international meetings. We are invited as visiting professors to many centers in the United States and abroad. Our research program attracts talented medical students and residents who are interested in an academic career.

I come from a family of doctors, including a father who was a urologist. I was drawn to oncology by the desire to help people with cancer. I believe that research into the biology of the disease will lead to better outcomes and renewed hope for people with cancer — something that I gratefully witness every day here at MSK.

In my free time, I love spending time with my kids and my wife (who is also a surgeon), playing golf, cooking, and reading. I also enjoy traveling around the world and teaching as a visiting professor in many countries, including Cuba, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, among others.

What I Do at MSK

A urologic surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on the genitourinary (jeh-nih-toh-YOOR-ih-nayr-ee) (GU) system. This includes the bladder, kidney, penis, prostate, and testicles.

  • Attending Physician
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Kidney (renal cell) cancer and conditions
  • Metastatic kidney cancer

My Specialties

  • Radical nephrectomy
  • Partial nephrectomy
  • Clinical trials
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Columbia University

Residencies

  • General Surgery - Washington University Medical Center
  • Urologic Surgery - Washington University Medical Center

Fellowships

  • Urologic Oncology - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Urology

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2025)
  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
  • Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: New York Magazine Top Doctors (2002, 2009, 2011-2012, 2015-2020)
  • Kidney Cancer Association: Andrew Novick Award for Excellence in Kidney Surgery (2015)
  • Nominee, MSK Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring (2015)
  • US News & World Report: New York City Best Doctors (2004–2018)

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Metroplus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

City Employee Health Plans (Gold and Gold Care)

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

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Contact and Location

Dr. Russo sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Sidney Kimmel Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers
353 East 68th Street New York NY 10065
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Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Urology Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Russo’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Paul Russo discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


View all disclosures

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