Best Doctors in Italy — Get an Online Consultation

Prof. Carlo Castroro is the General Gastric and Esophagus Surgery Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. He has graduated in the University of Padua and specialised in general medicine and thoracic surgery.

Medical areas of interest:

• gastric esophagus surgery
• day surgery
• general surgery

Previous experience:

Head of Simple Departmental Oncological Surgery Unit at the “Istituto Oncologico Veneto”, IOV - IRCCS, Padua.

Research areas of interest: 

• gastro-intestinal oncological surgery
• diseases of the esophagus with particular focus on oncologicy
• training, new technologies and distance learning
• day surgery and surgical services reorganization

Teaching experience: He is a professor in the Graduate School of General Surgery of the University of Padua and has also participated as a lecturer in numerous postgraduate training courses in the field of esophageal surgery, day surgery and minimally invasive surgery.

Publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=castoro+carlo

Dr. Paolo Casale is the Urology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. 

Medical areas of interest: 
his main focus is surgical treatment of oncological and functional diseases of the kidney, bladder and prostate.

He has developed a particular interest in conservative oncological surgery of the kidneys, both traditional and minimally invasive (laparoscopic and robotic), and has dedicated himself to the study of prostate and bladder oncological pathologies, with particular attention to the different urinary derivations, such as orthotopic neobladders.

Research areas of interest:
Surgical techniques in the treatment of kidney, bladder and prostate cancer.

Previous experience:

• 1999 – 2014 University Hospital of Pisa – Pisa (PI), Italy
  Medical Director at the Urology Unit 2 (Reference Center for Kidney tumors) headed by Dr. Francesco Francesca. Here he served as the organization and surgical training manager in the operating room of Residents in Urology and Students of Degree in Medicine and Surgery.
• He has also held the following positions: 
•  
• May 2012 – May 2013: Head of the Section of Professional interdisciplinary relevance of Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Surgery 
•  
• Nov 2008 – April 2012: Head of the Robot assisted Laparoscopic Surgery
•  
• 1994 – 2004: Research Fellow in Laparoscopic Surgery and Robotics at the Glickman Urological Institute at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation on advanced laparoscopic procedures, Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery – Cleveland – USA. (Chief: IS Gill).
•  
• December 1995 – May 1996: Research Fellow at the Department of Urology, Henry Ford Hospital – Detroit – Michigan – USA. (Chief: JO Peabody).
•  
• 1994: Clinical Internship at the Department of Urology, Montefiore Medical Center – Albert Einstein ​​University – New York – USA. (Chief: A. Mellman).

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=casale p 

Prof. Salvatore Badalamenti is the Nephrology and Dialysis Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. He has graduated at the Università degli Studi of Milan and is specialised in Medical Nephrology, Liver Diseases and Replacement.

Medical areas of interest:

• clinical nephrology and dialysis, chronic renal failure and its complications (anemia, osteodystrophy)
• preparation of vascular access for hemodialysis
• acid-base balance disorders. continuous renal replacement therapy in intensive care (CRRT)
• hepatorenal syndrome
• emergency medicine

Previous experience:

1990-1995 Polyclinic Hospital, Milan, Italy
He was a Staff grade specialist. Focused on infectious complications in dialysis treatments, particularly hepatitis C and anaemia, and nephrological and dialysis emergencies.

1986-1990 Provincial Hospital Clinic , Barcelona, Spain
He completed his PhD in Renal and Hepatic pathophysiology. Especially focused on the study of renal complications in patients with liver disease.

Research areas of interest: 

• clinical nephrology
• anemia and erythropoietin in renal failure and dialysis
• continuous renal replacement therapy in intensive care (crrt)
• hepatorenal syndrome. 
• phgosis and pentraxine in renal failure

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN)

Teaching experience:

He is Professor of Internal Medicine and Emergency medicine and Professor of Nephrology at Università degli Studi of Milan.

Dott. Antonio Frontera is the Electrophysiology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital.  

Medical areas of interest: 

After graduating in Medicine and Surgery at the University Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome in 2006, he specialized in Cardiology at the same university in 2012.

Soon after his specialization he moved to England where he was hired as a Clinical and Research Fellow in cardiac electrophysiology at the Bristol Heart Institute (NHS), Bristol. 
He won a scholarship from the European Society of Aritmology (EHRA) and completed his training in cardiac electrophysiology at the prestigious Haut Léveque Hospital in Bordeaux, France, directed by Prof. Michel Haïssaguerre. In the same French university, he obtained his PhD.

During these 5 years of training abroad, he performed about 800 trans catheter ablation surgeries focusing mainly on the treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias. As a researcher, he has published nearly 100 scientific papers on innovation and trans catheter ablation techniques, defibrillator and pacemaker functioning algorithms.

Back to Italy, he was employed at the Aritmology Unit of the San Raffale Hospital specializing in the treatment of ventricular tachycardia, performing more than 150 procedures as a first and second operator.

To date, Dr. Frontera is the author of more than 145 scientific papers published in international journals. He constantly participates in national and international congresses of the sector.

Research areas of interest:
He has particular interest in the analysis of endocavitary signals (EGMs) in ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.

Thanks to a close collaboration with the Mathematics department of Politecnico di Milano, directed by Prof. Quarteroni, he studied innovative techniques for the treatment of complex arrhythmias.

Previous experience:
 

• Clinical and Research Fellow in Cardiac Electrophysiology - Bristol Heart Institute, Bristol, UK
• Clinical and Research Fellow in Cardiac Electrophysiology - Hôpital Haut Léveque, Bordeaux, FR

Publications: 

Sinus node exit, crista terminalis conduction, interatrial connection and wavefront collision: key features of human atrial activation in sinus rhythm.
Pambrun T, Derval N, Duchateau J, Ramirez FD, Chauvel R, Tixier R, Marchand H, Bouyer B, Welte N, André C, Nakashima T, Nakatani Y, Kamakura T, Takagi T, Krisai P, Ascione C, Balbo C, Cheniti G, Vlachos K, Bourier F, Takigawa M, Kitamura T, Frontera A, Meo M, Denis A, Sacher F, Hocini M, Jaïs P, Haïssaguerre M.Heart Rhythm. 2022 Jan 13

Electrogram fractionation during sinus rhythm occurs in normal voltage atrial tissue in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Frontera A, Limite LR, Pagani S, Cireddu M, Vlachos K, Martin C, Takigawa M, Kitamura T, Bourier F, Cheniti G, Pambrun T, Sacher F, Derval N, Hocini M, Quarteroni A, Della Bella P, Haissaguerre M, Jaïs P.Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2021

Slow Conduction Corridors and Pivot Sites Characterize the Electrical Remodeling in Atrial Fibrillation - ScienceDirect
Antonio Frontera MD, Ph.D1, Stefano Pagani Ph.D2, Luca Rosario Limite MD1, Andrea Peirone MD1, Francesco Fioravanti MD1, Bogdan Enache MD6, Jose Cuellar, MD4, Konstantinos Vlachos, MD5, Christian Meyer, MD, MA7, Giovanni Montesano, MD8, Andrea Manzoni, Ph.D2, Luca Dedè2 Ph.D2, Alfio Quarteroni, Ph.D2,3, Decebal Gabriel Lațcu, MD6, Pietro Rossi MD, Ph.D9, Paolo Della Bella MD1.
JACC EP Jan 2022

Right ventricular outflow tract electroanatomical abnormalities in asymptomatic and high-risk symptomatic patients with Brugada syndrome: Evidence for a new risk stratification tool?
Letsas KP, Vlachos K, Conte G, Efremidis M, Nakashima T, Duchateau J, Bazoukis G, Frontera A, Mililis P, Tse G, Cheniti G, Takigawa M, Pambrun T, Prappa E, Sacher F, Derval N, Sideris A, Auricchio A, Jais P, Haissaguerre M, Hocini M.J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2021

Effect of electrode size and spacing on electrograms: Optimized electrode configuration for near-field electrogram characterization.
Takigawa M, Kitamura T, Basu S, Bartal M, Martin CA, Martin R, Cheniti G, Vlachos K, Pillois X, Frontera A, Massoullié G, Thompson N, Bourier F, Lam A, Duchateau J, Pambrun T, Denis A, Derval N, Cochet H, Haïssaguerre M, Sacher F, Hocini M, Jaïs P.Heart Rhythm. 2022 Jan;

Prof. Alessio Michele Goffredo Aghemo is the Hepatology Unit Director in Humanitas research Hospital.

Medical areas of interest: 

• liver diseases
• viral hepatitis
• metabolic hepatitis
• liver cirrhosis

Previous experience: 

From 2007 to 2017 he was the 1st level Medical Director at the U.O of Gastroenterology of the IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan.

Research areas of interest: 

Clinical and research activity focused on natural history and treatment of viral hepatitis.

He is the author of 155 peer-reviewed publications (Impact Factor total 1151.3, H-Index 25 according to Scopus, H-Index 20 last 5 years Scopus, H-Index 30 according to Google Scholar) (updated September 2017).

From 2013 to 2016 he was a scientific member of the governing board of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).

Since 2016 he is a member of the scientific committee of the European Association of Gastroenterology (UEG).

He is a member of the AISF (Italian Association for the Study of the Liver) commission for antiviral drugs directed against HCV (2012-present). Since 2016 he has been the coordinator of the same. 

He was AIFA/EMEA expert for liver disease since 2008.

Member of the Executive Committee of the HCV Regional Network, determined by the Lombardy Region on 28 September 2015.

He participated as an expert in the drafting of the European Guidelines 2013-2014-2015-2016-2017 (EASL) and Italian (AISF) on the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C.

Teaching experience:

He is associated professor of Gastroenterology at Humanitas University since September 2017.

Prof. Alessandro Castagna is the Orthopedic Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. He performs both traditional surgeries and arthroscopic surgeries. He developed experience in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder in the United States where he studied at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute, under the guidance of Dr. Stephen J. Snyder (famous shoulder surgeon, inventor and co-developer of surgical tools for shoulder arthroscopy).

Prof. Castagna gained experience in open surgery of the shoulder under the guidance of Prof. Mario Randelli, founder and past-president of the Italian Society for Surgery of the Shoulder, in Milan (Italy). He has specialized almost exclusively in shoulder surgery for more than 25 years and counts over 40.000 cases in his career. He carries out about 900 surgeries per year, including total shoulder prostheses, reverse prostheses, open and arthroscopic stabilization, rotator cuff repair and proximal humerus fractures.

Research areas of interest: 

Improvement of surgical and therapeutic methods of shoulder pathology. He gives particular attention to the study of biological and functional aspects with the development of surgical techniques, materials and dedicated tools. 

Teaching experience: Adjunct Professor at the Orthopedics Course of Specialization in Diseases of the Locomotor System at the University of L'Aquila.

Scientific activity: 

Prof. Castagna was president of European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow (ESSSE/SECEC) (www.secec.org) from 2012 to 2014 and president of Italian Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow (SICS&G) (www.sicseg.it) from 2010 to 2012. He is also a Member of the Board di International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ICSES, www.icses.org) nominated for the period from 2013 to 2022.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=castagna+alessandro

Prof. Alberto Albanese is the Neurology Unit Director at Humanitas Research Hospital. Until recently – Department Head of Neuroscience at the Institute of Neurology Carlo Besta (Milan). In 1977 prof. Albanese received his degree in medicine and surgery, in 1981 – in neurology, and in 1985 – in psychiatry. His professional experience began with the founding of the Department of “disorders of Parkinson’s and violations of the musculoskeletal system” at the clinic “A. Gemelli “in Rome in 1984, which he led until 1996. From 1996 to 2000 prof. Albanese was the Head of the Neurological University Clinic of Lausanne (Switzerland) and a professor of Neurology in the University.

From 2000 to 2015 he was Head of Neuroscience Department at the Institute of Neurology Carlo Besta (Milan).

Prof. Albanese is a professor of neurology at the Institute of Neurology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Milan), Director of the post-graduate course “Diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders and degenerative neurological diseases” at the Foundation Neurological Institute “C. Besta”, as well as an adjunct professor at the School of Specialization in Neuroscience at the University of Milan Bicocca.

Prof. Albanese is the president of “Italian Association of Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders” and “Italian Association for the Study of the autonomic nervous system” (which are part of “Italian Community of Neuroscience”). He is also an honorary member of the “French Community of Neuroscience.” The professor is a moderator and speaker at major national and international neurological conferences, he organized several symposia dedicated to Neurology, collaborates with numerous national and international research centers, which are studying Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders and degenerative neurological diseases. Prof. Albanese has been repeatedly receiving research fundings from the following government agencies: the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science and Research, National Research Council, the British Council, the Swiss National Research Council.

He is one of the greatest Italian experts on the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases and movement disorders, Parkinson.

He has extensive experience in the use of neurostimulation of brain neurological movement disorders, for treating Parkinson’s disease and other involuntary movements.

He developed the first Italian project on the study of genetic disease and Parkinson’s dystonia, which led to the discovery of two new genetic loci. Also prof. Albanese is actively engaged in research in the field of semiotics detailed definition of involuntary movements, which allows tracking of related clinical pathology for accurate diagnosis of patients with movement disorders.

Prof. Albanese has published more than 200 scientific papers, most of which are published in indexed journals (with a total impact factor>500), is the author of one monograph, 3 books and co-author of numerous books and publications. He is the chief editor of “Frontiers in Movement Disorders” and assistant editor of the “European Journal of Neuroscience”.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=albanese a

Professor Antonino Spinelli is the Director of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Humanitas Research Hospital.

The Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery is one of the most important centres for colorectal disease, especially for procedures of sphincter preservation for rectal tumours, but also for chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease, ulcerative rectal colitis…) and the surgical treatment of diverticular pathologies. 

Professor Spinelli carries out a constant research on minimally invasive surgeries, including the single-port surgery, mini-laparoscopy, low-impact surgery and trans-anal techniques (TATME, TAMIS, TTSS). Furthermore, the advanced postoperative recovering is another area of his interest.

He graduated as MD in 2001 at University of Milano. During his education, he won several scholarships: he trained ad University of Berlin Charitè for two years at the Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery. Also, he obtained his PhD on Surgical Phsyiopathology with a dissertation on enhanced recovery for laparoscopic colorectal surgery in 2011. 

Current Teaching Activity: he is Full Professor of Surgery at Humanitas University. 

Also, Professor Spinelli is general Secretary of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) and Board Member of the Guidelines Committee (GulCom) of the European Crohn Disease and Colitis Organization (ECCO). He is Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (FASCRS), Honorary Fellow of the Czech Society of Surgery (CSS) and Honorary Member of the Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery (CBCD). 

He is a member of the International Organization for the study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) and several other national and international scientific societies. 

In addition, Professor Spinelli serves as Associate Editor for Colorectal Disease (Journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain & Ireland, Royal College of Surgeons of England, of the European Society of Coloproctology and of the Spanish Society of Coloproctology – Asociación Española de Coloproctología), Diseases of the Colon and Rectum (official journal of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons), Journal of the Anus, Rectum and Colon (official journal of the Japan Society of Coloproctology).

He is Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Crohn’s Colitis (official journal of the European Crohn’s Colitis Organization), Advisory Board of Coloproctology (official journal of the German Society for Coloproctology – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Koloproktologie) and Editorial Board Member of Updates in Surgery (official journal of the Italian Society of Surgery – Società Italiana di Chirurgia).

Dr. Bernhard Reimers – Clinical and Invasive Cardiology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital, was born in Germany. He graduated in medicine and surgery in University of Padua (Italy) in 1990, followed by specialization in Cardiology. During the first 3 years of specialization in Cardiology in the Coronary Unit of Padua University, his particular interests were in managing cardiovascular urgency and critical patients, including management of fans, balloon pump, hemofiltration, temporary pacing, placement of central venous pathways and Swan-Ganz catheter. He spent his last year of specialization at the Hemodynamics of Casa di Cura Columbus (Milan), where he acquired his knowledge on the main diagnostic techniques he uses. After a short period of study at the Thoraxcenter of Rotterdam, during which he wrote his first scientific publications, Dr. Reimers has dedicated himself to hemodynamics and cardiovascular surgeries, working as Unit Director main assistant, executing angioplasty, coronary and peripheral procedures, reaching complete autonomy in coronary stenting, atherectomy, ultrasound intravascular and intracoronary doppler.

Since September 1997 he has managed and developed the diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular program at the Department of Cardiology of Mirano (Venice), where, thanks to his achievements, since 2000 the highest number of coronary angioplasties were performed. In 2006 the Unit has performed 975 coronary angioplasties (including 125 primary), more than 400 carotid angioplasty and peripherals. Dr. Reimers became Unit Director and has trained and taught a young team of interventional cardiologists, including 4 completely independent in the performance of coronary angioplasty, which manages both hemodynamics and largely the CCU in close collaboration between the two services. After this important experience, he was invited to be part of Humanitas Research Hospital as Clinical and Invasive Cardiology Unit Director.

Dr. Reimers participates in many scientific studies on the treatment of myocardial infarction considering new interventional or pharmaceutical approaches for primary angioplasty. He was also member of the Technical Commission of the Regional Bid for the purchase of stents. Thanks to Dr. Reimers’ efforts, Hemodynamics of Mirano (Venice) is considered reference center for primary angioplasty and elective complex procedures. Dr. Reimers is considered to be one of the leading experts of carotid angioplasty worldwide. He is preparing a program for interventional treatment of acute stroke. He performs routine renal angioplasty and implants percutaneous devices and endoprosthesis systems for aortic aneurysms.

Dr. Reimers has published, as author or co-author, 77 articles quoted in Medline. The impact factor calculated based on 2006 is 263. He published 9 book chapters and several abstracts for important international conferences dedicated to Cardiology, such as TCT, PCR, National GISE ANMCO, JIM and ESC, were he also performed live invasive procedures.

Dr. Reimers has always considered participation in clinical trials and scientific international events among the main activities of his professional carrier. Besides teaching at University of Tor Vergata in Rome, he organizes many conferences, national and international medical follow-up courses. For over 9 years he has been organizing theoretical and practical courses with lectures and transmission of live procedures in Venice. He has so far organized two editions of TOBI, international meeting dedicated to invasive treatment of total coronary occlusions and bifurcations, three editions of ETI, international conference and the largest in Italy, dedicated to invasive cardiology devices. 

Dr. Reimers was member of the scientific committee in the editions of 2006 and 2007 of National Convention GISE (Italian Group of Hemodynamic Study) and participated at important events dedicated to CAPTURE study, ESIRIUS, SYNTAX, TIMI 38, FINESSE and many others.

Publications: ttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=bernhard

Prof. Marco Klinger is director of the School of Specialization in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at the University of Milan and Head of the Operating Unit in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at Humanitas Research Hospital.

He specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery: treatment of scars, burns, outcomes of bariatric surgery, regenerative medicine and surgery, post-oncological breast reconstruction, breast malformations and skin oncology. Aesthetic plastic surgery: augmentation mammoplasty, mastopexy, reduction mammoplasty, rhinoplasty/ rhinoseptoplasty, lifting, liposuction, abdominoplasty, blepharoplasty and otoplasty.

Research interests: Regenerative medicine and surgery.

Prof. Klinger and his team have performed more than 35,000 plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery; he is the author of over 200 scientific articles, published in national and international journals. Among his most recent and significant studies, the use of lipofilling in treatment of severe burn outcome, scleroderma and chronic pain syndromes, such as Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome.

Scientific publications: 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=klinger%20marco

Dr. Giuseppe Speziale is a leading Italian cardiologist and cardiovascular surgeon. He specializes in minimally invasive and noninvasive surgery for mitral, aortic, and tricuspid valves. He also treats cardiac arrhythmia and heart failure. Dr. Speziale has performed thousands of complex procedures. These include CABG, valve replacements, pacemaker implantations, and septal defect closures.

Dr. Speziale earned his medical degree with honors from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. He completed a specialization in cardiac surgery and holds a Ph.D. from La Sapienza University. He is Vice President of GVM Care & Research and leads cardiac surgery departments at several hospitals. Dr. Speziale is an active member of major cardiac societies. He has made important contributions to research and clinical practice in his field.