Florida Surgical Specialists Enhanced General Surgery Fellowship
Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Foregut, Hernia and Colorectal Fellowship
Fellowship Information
The primary training goal of this post Graduate fellowship is to improve patient care and teach advanced robotic/laparoscopic/endoscopic operative skills to individuals who are interested in propagating the field of minimally invasive surgery, while honing skills regarding complex/emergency General Surgery.
The Florida Surgical Specialists Enhanced Gastrointestinal Surgery Fellowship is based upon a very busy clinical practice of General Surgery, especially foregut, hernia and colorectal surgery with intensive clinical research. There will be strong focus on minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
We have a very high volume practice and at the forefront of technology/innovation for both minimally invasive and open operations. Dr. Paul Toomey, program director, is a pioneer in robotic surgery with experience in over 600 robotic operations in the last six years. Dr. Bada is also a pioneer in robotic surgery and adds complex ventral hernia repairs with the TAR approach to our practice.
We will offer two positions starting July and August of each year, for graduates of accredited General Surgery training programs in the United States. This one-year program is designed for surgeons who want to increase their knowledge and technical skills in advanced laparoscopic/robotic operations and advanced GI Surgery/Colorectal Surgery. The program includes clinical, academic, and research components.
The goals of the one-year fellowship are:
Train fellows in the application of the following techniques of advanced GI Surgery for foregut, abdominal wall and colorectal diseases:
- Robotic Surgery
- Endo-luminal Surgery
- Emergency General Surgery
- “Open”, complex GI Surgery
Prepare fellows to be leaders in Surgery and for careers in Surgery by:
- Providing guidance for the development of independent research.
During the fellowship, extensive experience is gained in flexible endoscopy, including diagnostic, therapeutic, and advanced upper/lower endoscopy of the GI tract.
The clinical activity of the fellowship is undertaken at all training facilities served by Florida Surgical Specialists. Florida Surgical Specialists serve three hospitals and two ambulatory surgery centers in Manatee and Sarasota Counties:
- HCA Florida Blake Hospital (383 bed tertiary hospital)
- Manatee Memorial Hospital (295-bed hospital in Bradenton, FL)
- Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (120-bed hospital in Bradenton, FL)
- Florida Surgical Suites
- Manatee Surgery Center
The mission of Florida Surgical Specialists is to present Southwest Florida patients with the industry’s most ground-breaking surgical solutions for digestive disorders, cancer treatment and general surgery needs.
Fellowship Graduates
Coming Soon
Audrey Hand, M.D.
Dr. Hand hails from Lubbock, TX. She graduated from the Saba University School of Medicine in 2014. She completed her General Surgery Residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Addison Roberts, D.O.
Dr. Addison Roberts graduated from A.T. Still University in Arizona, after which he went on to do his general surgery training in Michigan at Ascension Genesys Hospital. He is an avid University of Oklahoma football fan as well as outdoor runner. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys. Addison’s two bucket list items are to complete a half iron man challenge and Travel to Europe and Australia.
Jaclyn Malat, D.O.
Dr. Jaclyn Malat joins us from the NJ/PA area after completing her general surgery residency at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is pursuing a general surgery career focused in minimally invasive and robotics surgery. Her goal is to bring expertise in robotic and colorectal surgery to her home community to provide access to the modern advances in surgical technology in both general and specialized surgery including breast cancer, colorectal diseases, melanoma and abdominal wall hernias. Dr. Malat is also passionate about research. She is actively involved with our research program at Florida Surgical Specialists and is leading our first clinical trial. We are also happy to share that Dr. Malat welcomed her first child during the fall of her fellowship year!
Bradley Gaddis, D.O.
Dr. Bradley Gaddis obtained his medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University, from where he went on to complete his general surgery residency at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey. He is currently a staff surgeon with Orlando Health, at their Windermere location. In his words, “your program provided me with the additional training that will allow me to further my professional goal of becoming a successful, well-rounded general surgeon and provided me with the opportunity to pursue some research interests.”
Yarret Robles Torres, M.D.
Dr. Yarret Robles Torres completed his medical training at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, followed by his residency in General Surgery at Hospital Episcopal San Lucas in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Following his year with our practice, he went on to become an Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery Fellow at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Robles Torres hopes to take the robotic and advanced laparoscopic skills he learned at Florida Surgical Specialists with him back to Puerto Rico, where he hopes to establish and become an integral part of the first robotic surgery program on the island.
Umashankkar Kannan, M.D.
Dr. Kannan came to us after completing a post-graduate MBA at Mercy College. Prior to that, he completed his general surgery training at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and Hospital of University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Currently, he is a Clinical Fellow in Bariatric Surgery at Mount Sinai Morningside in New York, working as an independent surgeon as well as continuing his research pursuits. In his words, “I completed my advanced general surgery fellowship at Florida Surgical Specialists between 2019-2020. Since then I have completed additional training in bariatric surgery and currently working at one of the NY City Health + Hospitals. Good fellowship training forms the basis for confidence in practice and the training with Drs. Toomey and Das have prepared me adequately for independent practice. I had good exposure to a wide gamut of general and colorectal diseases managed with appropriate mix of laparoscopic and robotic approaches. Also, I had sufficient experience in basic upper endoscopy and colonoscopy.”
