Page 4 - Best Doctors in Italy — Get an Online Consultation

Professor Stefano Boriani is a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon and author of unique surgical staging system of spinal tumors and tumor resection techniques. He has performed over 3,000 surgical procedures, written over 430 research articles, and invented a carbon fiber system for tumor reconstruction. He is also a professor at the Post-Graduate School of Orthopaedics at the University of Bologna, and a honorary member of several spine societies. He is also the founder of a non-profit association in Mozambique which supports medical activities and trains local surgeons.

Orthopedist, Oncologist, Specialist in osteosarcoma treatment

Spine Neurosurgeon

Dr. Borghesi leads the Neurosurgery Unit at Maria Cecilia Hospital, where his team performs around 1,000 advanced neurosurgical procedures annually. His approach combines years of experience with the latest technological innovations to ensure patients receive the most effective treatments available. Specializing in spinal surgeries (including cervical, dorsal, and lumbar procedures), Dr. Borghesi utilizes both posterior and anterior techniques to help patients regain mobility and relieve pain. Throughout his career, he has successfully performed over 4,500 complex surgeries, offering life-changing solutions for patients with challenging cranial and spinal conditions.

For brain tumor removal, he and his team employ advanced video-micro-surgical techniques, including the use of a digital microscope with 4K 3D imaging, which allows for enhanced precision and minimal invasiveness. Patients suffering from conditions like trigeminal neuralgia, facial spasms, and tumors of the posterior cranial fossa can benefit from Dr. Borghesi’s expertise in minimally invasive surgery, having treated over 400 cases with innovative techniques.

• Spinal Surgery: Expert in performing complex spinal surgeries (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar) using the latest methods to treat conditions such as herniated discs, spinal degeneration, and more.
• Brain Tumor Removal: Specializes in minimally invasive brain surgery for the removal of extensive tumors using cutting-edge 3D orbital camera technology.
• Trigeminal Neuralgia: Successfully treated over 400 cases of trigeminal neuralgia and other cranial nerve disorders with minimally invasive techniques, providing relief for patients with less recovery time.
• Colloid Cyst Removal: The doctor specializes in complex surgeries to remove this benign but very rare tumor.

Dr. Borghesi has trained in various top-tier international hospitals, learning from the best to provide high-quality care to his patients:

• Spinal Unit at Schulthess Klinik in Zurich
• École de Chirurgie in Paris, specializing in skull base and spinal surgeries
• Brain Institute at the University of Florida, specializing in microsurgical brain procedures
• Microsurgical Laboratory at the University of Arkansas, with a focus on lumbar degenerative disorders

He is the author of numerous scientific publications in national and international journals and volumes. In 1997 he was consultant of the "Medical Review" Journal.

Member of SICOB - Italian Society of Obesity Surgery and ACOI - Association of Italian Hospital Surgeons                                               

Dr Braun is a board-certified general surgeon with over 25 years of experience specializing in gastrointestinal surgery, particularly in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) through Fundoplication surgery. He has performed over 500 successful Nissen and Toupet Fundoplication procedures, with a focus on minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques. His expertise extends to diagnosing complex cases of GERD and offering comprehensive treatment plans to improve patient outcomes.

He has carried out his main training experiences in various international institutions and specialization courses in general and digestive system surgery, including a two-year training internship at Johns Hopkins University, Division of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery and numerous courses in Madrid, with Prof. E. Moreno Gonzales (Curso Internacional de Actualizaciòn en chirurgia General y del Aparato Digestivo) or in New Orleans (Medical Education at the 90th Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons).

Dr. Braun has extensive expertise in the field of digestive surgery. He has focused on implementing advanced protocols and optimizing surgical techniques, while maintaining high standards of safety and patient care. He has collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to provide an integrated and personalized approach in the management of obese or digestive disorder patients, improving quality of life and reducing post-operative complications.

Dr. Roberto Danchise is a top orthopedic surgeon. He specializes in traumatology and knee surgery. He performed Italy’s first meniscus transplant. He has completed over 16,000 arthroscopic procedures and more than 2,100 knee replacements. His skills cover orthopedic surgery, sports injuries, joint diseases, and advanced arthroscopic methods.

Dr. Danchise is Chair of the Italian Society for Knee Surgery. He co-founded SIGASCOT and serves on the Lombardy Region Advisory Board for cartilage transplantation. He is a member of ESSKA and ISAKOS. He also founded and is editor-in-chief of the journal Artroscopia e Ginocchio.

Dr. Alessandro Giovanelli is a bariatric surgeon with 39 years of experience. He specializes in obesity and general surgery. He has performed over 9,000 open general surgical operations. His expertise includes complex procedures such as gastric sleeve resection, gastric bypass, and gastric banding. He often uses advanced video-assisted and robotic techniques.

Dr. Giovanelli has published 70 articles in international medical journals. He is dedicated to research and education in bariatric and metabolic surgery. He is a member of SICOB and IFSO. He also holds advanced certifications in laparoscopic and robotic surgery from universities in Italy, Belgium, and the USA.

Since January 1993, Dr. Totaro holds the role of the Coordinator of the MAP (Medically Assisted Procreation) Center and of the Obstetrics-Gynecological Ultrasound Center at the Ospedale Santa Maria at the Maternal and Child Department. Under his supervision the Center, one of the leading MAR centers in Italy, performs more than 1,000 procedures a year. Ospedale Santa Maria - is in first position, for number of cycles of IUI, intrauterine insemination (586) - level I technique, while for the number of oocyte thawing procedures - level II and III technique - the hospital of Santa Maria from Bari occupies the 4th place in the national ranking.

In 1986 Dr. Totaro graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Bari, Italy with full marks, where 4 years later he specialized in Gynecology and Obstetrics. He then completed his diploma with participation at numerous professional courses, such as "Biophysical and biochemical monitoring of the fetus" (one year course, 1991, Bari) and obtaining a diploma in Clinical Sexuology from the ELEUSIS – International Center for the study, research and therapy of female, male and couple sexual dysfunctions (two years course, 1996, Bari). 

In order to broaden his knowledge in the obstetrics-gynecological scientific field, Dr. Totaro participates, both as moderator and speaker and as organizer, in numerous conferences, symposiums, congresses and courses (over 40 national and international congresses) and is the author of more than 30 scientific publications. 

Dr. Totaro is an active member of the following organizations:

ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology)

SIRU (Italian Society of Human Reproduction)

SIGO (Italian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics)

AOGOI (Italian Association of Hospital Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

SIMOP (Italian Society of Private Hospital Doctors)

ESG (European Society of Gynecology).

The prof. Giuseppe Speziale holds the positions of the National Coordinator of Cardiac Surgery of GVM Care & Research, the Director of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Anthea Hospital and Città di Lecce Hospital, and Director of the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the Santa Maria Hospital. He works at the Cardiological Clinical Institute (ICC) and San Carlo di Nancy Hospital in Rome. Since 2011 he has also held the position of Vice President of GVM Care & Research. In 2012 he occupied the charge of President of Confindustria Puglia, Health Section, and since 2018 he is Vice President of Aiop Puglia (Italian association of private hospitals). The prof. Speziale is a cardiac surgeon specializing in the minimally invasive surgical treatment of valve diseases, expert in minimally invasive repair of the mitral valve, in On and Off Pump myocardial revascularization, in thoracic aortic surgery. He is Co - Founder and President of the Scientific Committee of Mitral Academy, an independent association born from the passion for mitral surgery and the desire to pursue and share excellence in restorative surgery, with particular attention to minimally invasive techniques and the evaluation of potential therapeutic treatments deriving from the use of new technologies. Until 2016 he was elected Director of the Italian Society of Cardiac Surgery. He is part of the following associations: AATS (American Association for Thoracic Surgery), Italian Society of Cardiology Accredited Hospital, SICOA (active member), ISMICS (International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery). Since 2004 he has held the position of Scientific Director of the Italian Cardiopathic Association onlus.

In the field of scientific research, he focuses on new approaches, applicable in the field of minimally invasive and non-invasive mitral, aortic, cardiac arrhythmias and tricuspid surgery. He was the coordinator and researcher of the various projects of the National Research Council on Myocardial Infarction, on the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, on new technologies for carrying out coronary, cardiopulmonary and normothermic bypass. He was an adjunct professor at the Sapienza University of Rome where he held the Chair of Cardiology II, and at the University of Ferrara, where he teaches Cardiac Surgery. He has presented numerous scientific papers at national and international congresses of cardiology and cardiac surgery.

Bibliography: He is co-author of 6 books known nationally and internationally. The most recent one is Advances in Treatments for Aortic Valve and Root Diseases, publisher Springer International Publishing, 2018.

He is Reviewer and author of over 90 publications of multiple journals, such as Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, Heart & Lung: The Journal of Cardiopulmonary and Acute Care, European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal on Cardiac, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery etc.

Awards: “Top Doctors Awards”, 2021

Dr. Nicola Vione specializes in Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Pathology.

He began his training at the University of Turin where, in 1996 he obtained a degree in Medicine and Surgery, and in 1997 the qualification to practice. Subsequently, in 2001 he obtained the specialist diploma in Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Pathology. 

Over the years of his career he has attended various prestigious hospitals, perfecting himself in Functional and Aesthetic Surgery of the nose, performing thousands of operations and obtaining excellent results. He regularly attends specialization courses and national and international congresses, learning the most avant-garde techniques of the moment such as preservation rhinoplasty which allows primary rhinoplasty operations to be performed, guaranteeing respect for the anatomy of the nose and obtaining extremely natural and a shorter post-operative period.

Since 2015, he has been collaborating with the "Micheli-Pellegrini" Study Center, one of the most prestigious schools in Italy of rhino-cervical-facial reconstructive surgery, as a member of the scientific committee and as a Professor of Functional and Aesthetic Surgery of the Nose. He currently works at the San Luigi Gonzaga public hospital in Orbassano (Turin), as Medical Director of the Otolaryngology Operative Unit. He also works in some private clinics, such as Santa Caterina da Siena GVM and the Fornaca Clinic in Sessant.

Dr Vione is a member of numerous national scientific societies such as AICEFF (Italian Association of Aesthetic and Functional Surgery of the Face), AOOI (Association of Italian Hospital Otorhinolaryngologists), AIOCC (Italian Association of Head and Neck Oncology) and SIOeChCF ( Italian Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery). Registered, since 1997, in the Provincial Order of Surgeons of Asti

Dr. Nicola Vione is an established professional in the field of Otolaryngology and particularly expert in Functional and Aesthetic Surgery of the nose.

Having graduated in Medicine and Surgery at a very young age, Prof. Egle Muti then specialized in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Clinical Oncology and Clinical Psychotherapy.

Invited as a speaker at numerous conferences around the world, she is a professor of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at the San Luigi Gonzaga Medical University based in Orbassano.

Her scientific production has focused above all on breast surgery, particularly on post-mastectomy breast reconstruction and the treatment of tuberous breasts, and on nose surgery.

She is part of the FONCAM (National Operational Forces Group on Breast Cancer) and is a member of the study group for General Aesthetic Surgery and Breast Surgery of SICPRE.

For several years she was a teacher of the Facial Anatomical Dissection course at the Free University of Brussels.

Dr. Domenico Riitano, specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 1989 and specialized in Orthopedics and Traumatology in 1994 at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. In 2007 he completed his training with a further specialization in reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery at the University of Messina.

He perfected his technique in Brazil at various specialized hospitals and clinics, including the Fluminense Clinic of Plastic Surgery “Niteroi” in Rio De Janeiro.

Dr. Daniele Caviglia is an experienced orthopedic specialist with 8 years in clinical practice. He focuses on fracture care and orthopedic surgeries. He also provides diagnostic services such as x-rays and MRI scans.

Dr. Caviglia is dedicated to patient-centered care. He offers both in-person and telemedicine consultations. He has a strong record of successful treatments for various orthopedic conditions. He ensures careful follow-up and rehabilitation for every patient.

Prof. Luigi Massimo Zagra is the Head of the Hip Surgery Department I at the IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi in Milan.

He is the visiting professor at the School of Specialization in Orthopaedics and Traumatology of the University of Milan.

Prof. Zagra has performed more than 5,000 major orthopaedic operations.

Mainly focused on hip surgery including complex primary, revision (25% of cases), conservative surgery, osteotomies, and pediatric hip diseases arthroplasty.

He performs hip replacement surgery daily for osteoarthritis, particularly in cases of congenital dysplasia, developmental and post-traumatic malformations, rheumatoid arthritis, necrosis in young and old patients, needing special implants to prevent any possible complications. 

Dealing with problems with previously placed implants, in particular material wear and tear, such as in metal-on-metal or old-generation polyethylene prostheses, painful, loose, unstable, infected prostheses, using tissue-safe and non-invasive methods and the latest ceramic and titanium implants, including cemented ones.

He is currently Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the European Hip Society and the Italian Hip Society, as well as a member of the Executive Committee of EFORT, of International Committee of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and of the Scientific Committee of the Italian Arthroplasty Registry. 

He is author and co-author of 130 articles published in national and international journals, as well as invited specialist and speaker at over 500 congresses in Italy and abroad.

Prof. Filippini began his career in 1980 and has been teaching at the University of Chieti since the 1990s in the fields of General Surgery, Microsurgery, Reconstructive Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Orthopedics, and Gynecology. His primary focus is oncological surgery, particularly specializing in "The surgical treatment of locally advanced tumors and multi-organ resections." He has enriched his expertise by visiting prominent reference centers in the United States, including the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, New York City. There, he delved into minimally invasive, laparoscopic, and microsurgical techniques under the guidance of esteemed mentors such as John Daly, Michele Gagner, and Murray Brennan. Additionally, in 2005, he further expanded his skills at the City of Hope Oncology Center in Los Angeles, focusing on robotic surgery in oncology.

In 1980, Prof. Filippini graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the G. D'Annunzio University of Chieti in Italy with honors, presenting an experimental thesis on lympho-venous anastomosis using microsurgical techniques. He completed his specialization in general surgery at the University of Pisa with distinction after five years. In 1990, he obtained another specialization in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from the University of Padua in Italy, where he maintained a stellar academic record.

Prof. Filippini has presented at numerous national and international conferences and authored over 100 scientific publications. Additionally, he has co-authored two monographs. 

Prof. Deraco has dedicated his career to helping patients with complex cancers, particularly those affecting the peritoneum, a membrane in the abdomen. He began his medical career in 1989 at the Surgery and Experimental Oncology Departments of the Fondazione IRCCS, National Cancer Institute in Milan, Italy. Over the years, he has played a key role in advancing treatments for peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM). For more than a decade, he was the lead physician for the Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Program. Since 2017, he has served as the director of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Unit, where he continues to focus on providing cutting-edge care for his patients.

Prof. Deraco’s expertise is in specialized cancer treatments like Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS), Hyperthermic Intra-Peritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), and Pressurized Intra-Peritoneal Aerosolized Chemotherapy (PIPAC). These techniques aim to remove cancer and deliver heated chemotherapy directly to the abdomen, giving patients with PSM new hope. He has successfully treated over 1,200 patients using these advanced methods.

In addition to his clinical work, Prof. Deraco is a professor at Milan University, where he teaches future surgeons about peritoneal surface malignancies. His teaching extends internationally, as he has mentored over 30 postdoctoral fellows from prestigious institutions worldwide.

Prof. Deraco’s educational background is extensive. He earned his medical degree from the University of Messina in 1987 with top honors, followed by a specialization in general surgery five years later. His training continued in Paris, where he specialized in oncology at the prestigious Paris Dauphine University. He further honed his skills through fellowships in world-renowned institutions such as the Gustave Roussy Institute in France, the Royal Marsden Hospital in the UK, and the Washington Cancer Institute in the USA.

Throughout his career, Prof. Deraco has remained actively involved in research and professional organizations. He has published over 250 scientific articles and 25 book chapters, contributing to the advancement of cancer treatment globally. He serves on the board of multiple scientific societies dedicated to cancer research, including the Peritoneal Surface Oncology International Group (PSOGI) and the Italian Society for Loco-Regional Cancer Therapy (SITILO).