David E. Rivadeneira, MD, FACS, FASCRS, is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon trained at world renowned institutions including New York Presbyterian Hospital–Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and the Lahey Clinic in Massachusetts. Dr. Rivadeneira provides a full range of consultative, diagnostic, and therapeutic services
involving surgery for patients with diseases of the small bowel, colon, rectum, and anus.
Renowned for his advanced skills in minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Rivadeneira has a major interest in laparoscopic and other minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of colon and rectal diseases, including cancer. He is recognized as a national leader in laparoscopic colon surgery, and has extensive experience teaching laparoscopic colon surgery to surgeons throughout the United States and abroad.
Dr. Rivadeneira's expertise encompasses the management of colon, rectal, and anal cancer, diverticulitis, familial polyposis, chronic ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, ileoanal reservoir (J-pouch), colon polyps, incontinence, prolapse, anorectal abscess, fistula, fissure, and hemorrhoids. He also performs colonoscopy.
Board certified in both colon and rectal surgery and general surgery, Dr. Rivadeneira received his MD from Howard University College of Medicine in 1995. For his outstanding performance as a medical student, he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and also selected for inclusion in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Rivadeneira completed his residency in general surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, training at both New York Presbyterian Hospital–Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He then went on to complete his fellowship training in colon and rectal surgery at the Lahey Clinic in 2003.
Dr. Rivadeneira was for five years a member of the full-time surgical faculty of Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he attained the position of associate professor of surgery.
Currently, Dr. Rivadeneira is chief of colon and rectal surgery at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, NY, and director of the colon and rectal programs at both St. Catherine and St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, NY. These programs have been very successful in providing the highest quality of care to patients with colon and rectal problems.
Dr. Rivadeneira has been selected for inclusion in the Consumers' Research Council of America Guide to America's Top Surgeons, among other top doctor publications.
Patients of Dr. Rivadeneira who require surgery have their operations performed by him at St. Catherine, which is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island, and is devoted to providing advanced healthcare, in an environment of compassion, to its patients and their families.
Dr. Rivadeneira also performs surgery at St. Charles Hospital, which also is a member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island, and which has served the residents of the Three Village areas for more than 100 years.
Residency Training: General Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University (New York Presbyterian Hospital–Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center).
Fellowship Training: Colon and Rectal Surgery, Lahey Clinic (Burlington, MA);
Cancer Research Clinical Fellowship (funded by National Institutes of Health), Cornell Medical Center.
Specialties: Management of diseases of the small bowel, colon, rectum, and anus, including colon, rectal, and anal cancer, diverticulitis, familial polyposis, chronic ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, ileoanal reservoir (J-pouch), colon polyps, incontinence, prolapse, anorectal abscess, fistula, fissure, and hemorrhoids; use of laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery and other minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of colorectal diseases, including cancer; colonosopy.
Honors: Selected for inclusion in Best Doctors in America, 2010-2011;
selected for inclusion in Guide to America's Top Surgeons (2007 & 2009) published by the Consumers' Research Council of America;
recipient of Patients’ Choice Award, 2008, 2011;
selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who in America (2009), Marquis Who's Who in the World (2009), Cambridge Who's Who Among Professionals in Research and Medicine (2009; 2008), and Marquis Who's Who (2008; 2007);
Lahey Clinic Alumni Association award for outstanding academic achievement in colon and rectal surgery (2003);
American Association of cancer Research Scholar Award (1995).
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Portuguese.
Consultations/Appointments: 631-862-3600.
Office Locations: 48 Route 25A, Suite 007, Smithtown, NY 11787 (map/directions)
-and-
St. Charles Hospital, 200 Belle Terre Road, Suite 300, Port Jefferson, NY 11777
(map/directions).
See this public service announcement featuring Dr. Rivadeneira with a former patient talking about the benefits of minimally invasive surgery for colon cancer (aired on CBS Healthwatch, October 2011).
Click here to see video of Dr. Rivadeneira giving a presentation on middle colic dissection and division: hand-assisted
approach, as part of the session on laparoscopic techniques, at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (June 2008).
Click here to see video of Dr. Rivadeneira describing how he performs open colectomy without sutures or significant blood loss, in preview of OR-Live webcast that featured him (filmed in June 2008).
