Michael D. Stifelman, MD

Michael D. Stifelman, M.D., is Chair of Urology at Hackensack University Medical Center, Director of Robotic Surgery Professor at Hackensack Meridian Health, and Founding Chair of Urology, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

An internationally recognized pioneer and leader in robotic urologic oncology and upper tract urinary reconstructive surgery, Dr. Stifelman has performed more than 4,000 robotic procedures and pioneered more than a dozen minimally invasive surgical techniques. His team was among the first in the nation to use the single port robotic surgical system after FDA approval in 2018. 

Dr. Stifelman is known for his role in developing surgical innovations including robotic partial nephrectomies, near infrared fluorescence imaging for renal surgery, IRIS 3D imaging to improve surgical outcomes, the buccal mucosa tissue grafting procedure for ureteral reconstruction, and the use of single port robotic surgery to access urologic organs using the extraperitoneal approach.

Dr. Stifelman serves as Professor and Founding Chair of Urology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. As Chair of Urology, he inaugurated the department’s residency program which now includes 10 residents. He has been an invited lecturer and guest surgeon in 18 countries across six continents and served as a full professor of Urology at NYU School of Medicine for 16 years.  

Additionally, Dr. Stifelman is on the faculty of numerous organizations including the American Urological Association (AUA), European Association of Urology (ERUS), and the North American Robotic Urology Symposium (NARUS). He is on the Advisory Board of Intuit Surgical, Inc, and the Scientific Board of the Institute of Surgical Excellence. Dr. Stifelman is the president-elect of the Society of Urological Robotic Surgeons (SURS).

An innovator and thought leader in the field of minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Stifelman’s research has won numerous prestigious awards with a focus on developing and evaluating new technologies and refining their roles in the operating room. Dr. Stifelman has published 198 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts, 20 invited reviews/book chapters and 38 surgical technique videos that have been distributed by the American Urologic Association, European Urology and World Congress of Endourology.

Dr. Stifelman joined HackensackUMC in 2016 from NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, NY, where he served in the following roles: professor of Urology, NYU School of Medicine; director of the Robotic Surgery Center, NYU Langone Medical Center; and chief of Urology Services, Tisch Hospital. He received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. He performed his internship in general surgery and urology residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, NY. He received his fellowship in endourology and laparoscopy at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell, New York, NY and is board-certified in urology. 

Dr. Stifelman has been recognized by Castle Connolly’s New York Top Doctors, America’s Top Doctors, and Top Doctors for Cancer, as well as in the annual “Top Doctors” issue of New York Magazine for the past 10 years.