Dr. Stephen Wise Unger, MD

Dr. Stephen Unger has been practicing general and vascular surgery for 30 years. He joined the practice of his father, Dr. Harold M. Unger, in 1982 and assumed chairmanship of Mount Sinai Medical Center's Department of Surgery in 2009. A native of Miami Beach, Dr. Unger attended Duke University Medical School and completed an internship in pathology at Duke University Hospital. He completed both a surgical residency and a research fellowship in surgical oncology at the University of Virginia. Dr. Unger is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and an active member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), where he serves as treasurer of the organization's Research and Education Foundation. At Mount Sinai, Dr. Unger has chaired the Surgical Service Review Committee, and served on both the Medical Executive Committee and the medical advisory board to the Board of Trustees. He also holds appointments to the voluntary teaching staffs of Florida International University Medical School and the University of Miami Medical School. As chairman of the Mount Sinai Department of Surgery, Dr. Unger has worked to develop a patient centered surgical department that offers the latest surgical techniques. He was the first surgeon at Mount Sinai to perform many minimally invasive procedures, including percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement, laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder), laparoscopic treatment of common bile duct stones and laparoscopic placement of peritoneal dialysis catheter Dr. Unger has also published extensively in the field of minimally invasive surgery. In his general surgery practice, Dr. Unger performs both open and minimally invasive operations of the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, spleen and adrenal glands, and is exploring robotic surgery in these areas as well. Also a skilled vascular surgeon, Dr. Unger utilizes open and minimally invasive techniques to treat diseases of the arteries and veins, including endovascular surgery to treat aortic aneuryms. Additionally, he has a special interest in helping dialysis patients increase the efficiency of their treatments. Dr. Unger has spent the last 15 years developing new approaches to creating and preserving arteriovenous fistulas that maximize the amount of blood cleansed during dialysis treatments. Dr. Unger is also an active member of Temple Beth Shalom, where he has held various leadership positions throughout the years.