Robert J. Downey, MD, FACS
Thoracic Surgeon
My Role at MSKWe post reviews for MSK healthcare providers who have at least 30 patient experience surveys completed. If you do not see reviews for a provider, it may be because they do not yet have enough survey responses, or the provider may not be part of the group of healthcare providers included in the survey.
Only outpatient providers are included in the survey. Healthcare providers who only work in the hospital or in urgent care are not included in the survey. Pathologists or researchers who do not provide direct care to patients do not have reviews.
About Me
- Co-Director, Specialized Advanced Care Unit
I am a chest surgeon who specializes primarily in the treatment of three groups of patients: those with lung cancer, those with cancers that have spread to the lung from other sites, and those with tumors that arise from structures in the chest other than the lung, such as the thymus gland or the chest wall.
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My clinical work outside of the operating room is focused on administering Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Surgical Advanced Care Unit, which provides a heightened level of postoperative monitoring and care for patients who either have undergone extensive operations, or who present with significant debilities (for example, advanced age or preexisting lung disease) prior to surgery.
My research interests involve investigating whether adult cancers arise from the stem cells that all adults have in their bodies, and, if so, what the implications are for understanding the behavior and treatment of cancer.
A thoracic (thor-A-sik) surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on the chest, lungs, trachea (windpipe), and thymus.
My Specialties
- Lung Cancer
- Mediastinal Tumors
- Mesothelioma
- Pulmonary Metastases
- Pulmonary and Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, including Laser Endoscopy
- Critical Care Medicine
- Thoracic Surgical Oncology
- Tracheobronchial and Esophageal Stents
Education
- MD, Columbia University
Residencies
- Surgery - Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center
Awards and Honors
- Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
- Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
Fellowships
- Surgery - Mayo Clinic
- Surgery - Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center
Board Certifications
- Thoracic Surgery
- Surgical Critical Care
- General Surgery
Insurance Information
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In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
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.
Contact and Location
Dr. Downey sees patients at three locations.
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.
Clinical Trials
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 trialsResearch and Publications
Selected Book Chapters
“Resection of colorectal metastases to the lung.” Downey RJ. In: Colorectal Cancer: Multimodality Management. Saltz L, ed. Clifton, NJ: Humana Press; 2002.
“Physiology of bed rest.” Downey RJ. In: The Physiological Basis of Rehabilitation Medicine. 2nd ed. Downey JA, Myers SJ, Gonzalez EG, Lieberman JS, eds. Boston: Butterworth-Heineman; 1994: 448-454.
“Surgical problems in the critically ill oncologic patient.” Downey RJ, Espat J, Hsu FI. In: Textbook of Critical Care Medicine. 4th ed. Grenvik A, Ayres SM, Holbrook PR, Shoemaker WC, eds. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2000.
“Perioperative care of the patient undergoing lung resection.” Downey RJ. Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders. Fishman AP, Elias JA, Fishman J, Grippi MA, Kaiser LR, Senior RM, eds. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1998.
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“Oncologic emergencies.” Downey RJ, Groeger JS. In: Critical Care. 3rd ed. Civetta JM, Taylor RW, Kirby RR, eds. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1997: 2245-2253.
“Physiology changes associated with bed rest and major injury.” Downey RJ, Weissman C. In: Downey and Darling’s Physiology Basis of Rehabilitation Medicine. 3rd ed. Gonzalez EG, Myers SJ, Edelstein JE, Lieberman JS, Downey JA, eds. Boston: Buttersworth-Heinemann; 2001.
“Follow-up after lung cancer resection.” Downey RJ. American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology: Lung Cancer. Ginsberg RJ. Hamilton, Ontario: BC Decker; 2002.
“Non-small cell lung cancer—stage III disease.” Downey RJ. In: Current Therapy in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Yang SC and Cameron DE, eds. Philadelphia: Mosby; 2004.
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Downey’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 PubMedPatient Reviews
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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.
Robert J. Downey 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 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, 2022 through disclosure submission in spring 2023). 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].
