Best Doctors in Italy — Get an Online Consultation

Dr. Maurizio Fornari is the Head of the Neurosurgery Unit in Humanitas Research Hospital.

After his specialization in neurosurgery in 1979 at the University of Milan, Dr. Fornari has followed courses in neurosurgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York (USA) and advanced courses in Spinal Surgery and skull base at the Center St. Louis (USA) and the Center of Albuquerque (USA).

Dr. Fornari specializes in the treatment of all major diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, from the compression of the spinal nerves (lumbar and cervical disc hernias, stenosis of the cervical canal, instability of the spine, spinal cord tumors), primary and secondary brain tumors, to congenital malformations of the central nervous system. Dr. Fornari is a recognized leader in the development of computer assisted spine surgery.

Dr. Fornari is a recognized leader in the development of minimally invasive surgery, who among the first has adopted bloodless methods such as micro decompression with unilateral approach for the treatment of lumbar stenosis instead of the much more invasive laminectomy.

Another dreaded disease, sometimes associated with stenosis or lumbar spondylolisthesis, which Dr. Fornari is approaching for quite a long time with the help of spinal navigation systems and intraoperative CT scan, which helps the work of the surgeon during the intervention, reducing invasiveness and risks for the patient, represent lumbar instability.

He and his team perform more than 1.300 surgeries a year, and he has one of the most important case studies in the world (data from a few years ago published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: 
http://thejns.org/action/doSearch?displaySummary=false&AllField=maurizio+fornari.) 

Since 2012, he teaches at the University of Milan. He is also Assistant Editor of "Advanced Technology in Neurosurgery" published by Sprinter Verlag Berlin Heldelberg (1988).

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=fornari%m

Prof. Enrico Arnaldi is the Arthroscopic and Reconstructive Surgery of the Knee Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. 
He was the medical apprentice of Dr. Lorenzo Spotorno (a master and pioneer in prosthetic surgery). Since 1984, he has dedicated himself to arthroscopic knee surgery and later on shoulder surgery.

Medical areas of interest: He is specialized in degenerative and post-traumatic shoulder diseases (rotator cuff tendon injuries, glenomeral arthrosis, shoulder instability) and related surgical treatments, arthroscopic (tendon repairs, capsuloplasty, etc.) and open (latarjet stabilization, orthoprosthesis, etc.). 
He also deals with degenerative and post traumatic knee pathologies, with particular attention to the osteoarthritis of the knee (primitive or secondary), the post-traumatic complex capsule-ligamentous instabilities, the lesions of the cruciate ligaments, meniscus and cartilage, and open-air surgical treatments (such as corrective osteotomies, first implant orthoprosthesis and revisions) and arthroscopic (meniscectomies and meniscal sutures, meniscal transplants, ACL reconstruction, treatment of focal cartilage lesions). 

Research areas of interest:
There are many research interests, ranging from biotechnology to meniscal transplants and osteochondral grafts, from allogeneic grafts for reviews from failures of ligamentous reconstruction to patella stabilization.

He practiced his specialty in the US in some of the world-renowned medical institutions along with internationally famous doctors: the University of Pittsburgh (Dr. Freddie Fu, Dr. Harner, Dr. Savio Lee Wo), the Intermountain Hospital in Salt Lake City (Dr. Rosemberg, Dr. Paulos), Dr. E. Wolf (San Francisco), Dr. Helman and Dr. Morrison (Los Angeles), Dr. Nottage, Dr. Esch (San Diego), Dr. Steadman and Dr. Hawkins (Vail), Dr. P. Fowler (London Ontario Canada), and J. P. Warner in Boston University.

He has performed more than 10,000 arthroscopic knee surgeries and approximately 1,200 prosthetic reconstruction of the knee. He has always been very involved in the research works in the area of new biotechnologies, meniscal and osteochondral transplantation, allogeneic grafts for revisions by failures of ligament reconstructions, stabilization of the patella.

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=arnaldi+enrico

Prof. Stefano Respizzi is the Head of the Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery Unit in Humanitas Research Hospital. He is specialized in orthopaedic rehabilitation and sport rehabilitation. In 1986, with some colleagues, he founded the Sports Medical Centre of Sesto San Giovanni. In 1988 he founded the GISMI (Italian Group of Study of Isokinetic Method), where he is also an advisor. 

Medical areas of interest: orthopaedic rehabilitation, traumatology and sports rehabilitation, sports medicine, physical therapy

Research areas of interest: orthopaedic rehabilitation, sports medicine, orthopaedics

Previous experience:  

• 1991-1996 Orthopaedic Institute of Gaetano Pini, Italy
  Assistant Physiatrist
• 1991-1991 Hospital of the Piemonte region , Italy
  Specialist doctor in sports medicine
   

In 1986, with some colleagues from Milan, he founded the Centro Medico Sportivo of Sesto San Giovanni, a facility recognized by Lombardia Region and dedicated to the release of certificates of fitness for practicing competitive sports.

He has been a consultant for the Italian Volleyball Federation.
In 1988 he founded GISMI (Gruppo Italiano Studio Metodiche Isokinetiche).
In 2002 he became managing director of Isokinetic Milano, one of the centers of the network of Isokinetic Sports Rehabilitation Centers.

Prof. Romano Lutman is the Head Oncological and interventional radiology Unit.

Medical areas of interest: 
diagnostic and interventional oncology, in particular linked to percutaneous imaging-guided procedures.
He has performed over 3000 CT guided lung biopsies and numerous international trials on anticancer drugs.

Research areas of interest: 
advanced oncological diagnostics. Percutaneous minimally invasive imaging-guided diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in oncology.

Previous experience:  
- 1991-1996 Orthopaedic Institute of Gaetano Pini, Italy
Assistant Physiatrist
- 1991-1991 Hospital of the Piemonte region , Italy
Specialist doctor in sports medicine

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=lutman r

Prof. Michele Ciccarelli is the Pneumology Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital.

He has acquired significant experience in managing infectious pneumonias, treating about 300 cases annually. 

He has also acquired a wide experience in managing respiratory allergies of bronchial asthma and COPD with over 500 patients followed in these pathologies.

Previous experience:

1988-1995 Hospital of Niguarda, Milan, Italy
Visiting doctor at the Centre for High Specialisation in Allergology and Clinical Immunology with full-time specialisation in the Department of Pneumology Piazza.

Other medical areas of interest:

• Obstructive pathology of the airways
• Pulmonary infectivity
• Bronchoscopy techniques
• Pulmonary oncology
• Interstitial pneumopathies
• Non-invasive ventilator therapy
• Sleep medicine
• Pneumopathies in the course of systemic diseases

Research areas of interest:

• Lung oncology
• Community and hospital acquired pneumonia
• Bronchial asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Teaching experience: Medicine and Surgery Professor at “Università degli Studi” of Milan.

Scientific activities: Medicine and Surgery Professor at “Associazione Italiana Pneumologi Ospedalieri” (AIPO).

Prof. Renato Maria Bragato is the Autonomous Echocardiography Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital.

His main medical specialties are 2D, 3D transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographies.

He executes echo transthoracic and transoesophageal intra-operative monitoring in heart surgery, vascular surgery and hemodynamics (intra-operative diagnostics, cardiac function monitoring, mini-access treatment and surgery using the Heartport technique, monitoring implantation of vascular and valvular percutaneous endoprostheses, monitoring PFO closure, monitoring LAA Occluder and Mitral clip positioning), intraoperative evaluation and follow-up of application and correct functioning of “Ventricular Advanced Device” (VAD, NOVACOR, CIRCULATE),  resynchronisation and evaluation of bi-ventricular cardiac stimulation, vascular ultrasound (EchocolorDoppler of the supra-aortic trunks) and study of endothelial dysfunction (Shear test), evaluation of cardio-embolic risk using CEUS, transthoracic and transesophageal techniques.

Research areas of interest: His research activity is dedicated to Artificial Heart Device and Fusion Imaging.

Author and co-author of over 70 published papers on different national and international journals mainly from personal original research project

Member of Italian Society of Cardiovascular Echography (SIEC)

Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=bragato+renato

Prof.  Roberto Gatti is the Physiotherapy Unit Director in Humanitas Research Hospital. Prof. Roberto Gatti became physiotherapist in 1985 at the University of Milan (Italy). In 1996 he got the licénce en kinésithérapie et réadaptation  at the Catholique University of Louvain la Neuve (Belgium) and, in 2009, the Master of sciences in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Florence (Italy).

Medical areas of interest: 

motor rehabilitation

Previous experience:
 

Didactic coordinator of Physiotherapy degree programme of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University

• Group Leader of the Motor Function Analysis and Rehabilitation Laboratory of the Department of Neuroscience of San Raffaele Hospital
• Head of physiotherapy at San Raffaele Hospital

Research areas of interest:

Research lines of Prof. Roberto Gatti are mainly addressed on Biomechanics and Neurorehabilitation, with a focus on the effects of cognitive facilitations (i.e. action observation) on motor relearning of subjects with lesion at the central nervous system. As Biomechanics research lines his interest is focused on the study of anticipatory postural adjustments and their coordination with the agonist component of movement.

Teaching experience: 

Associated Director of the Physiotherapy degree programme of Humanitas Research Hospital since 2016

Prof. Efrem Civilini  is chairman at Humanitas University and Vascular Surgery Unit Director at Humanitas Research Hospital.

He received his medical degree from the University of Milan, Italy and board-certified in Vascular Surgery at the University of Siena, Italy. He took his internship and residency in vascular surgery at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan (Italy) where he completed his training with clinical and research fellowships under the guidance of his mentor Prof. Roberto Chiesa.

As an attending surgeon and later as chief of Thoracic Aortic Surgery at the Cardiovascular Department of San Raffaele he practiced his surgical skills in an internationally recognized team treating thoraco-abdominal aneurysms and then studied minimally invasive aortic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic (OH). After an experience of about 15.000 vascular surgerie, in 2015 was appointed to Humanitas at the head of a relatively young team: the department of Vascular Surgery I. This department provides comprehensive treatments for all types of vascular disorders including the new technology of catheter-based intervention as well as traditional surgical treatment all geared toward maximizing safety and optimizing outcomes.

Prof. Civilini’s research has been focused on aortic surgery and minimally invasive vascular therapies. He co-authored practice guidelines for the treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases and has played a role in industry-sponsored clinical trials assessing the performance of new expandable stents used to treat thoracic aorta disease. He has been invited to present his clinical experience at international and national medical conferences and symposia.

He has authored or co-authored several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on his clinical experience and research. He serves as a reviewer for the Annals of Vascular Surgery and is member of the European Society of Vascular Surgery and the Società Italiana di Chirurgia Vascolare ed Endovascolare.

Previous experience:

1995-2014
Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan. Italy
Staff surgeon and Director of the Thoracic Aortic Surgery

2003-2014
“Vita – Salute” University, Milan. Italy
Fellow and Contract Professor of Surgery

2008 
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland (OH)
Additional training in catheter-based interventions and endovascular surgery of thoraco-abdominal aneurysms.

Publications:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Civilini%20E%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=26344379

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