Justin B. Ziemba

University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Health System

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About

Justin B. Ziemba is a urologic surgeon and researcher whose work sits at the critical intersection of surgical quality improvement and the national opioid crisis. His most impactful contributions focus on rethinking postoperative pain management, particularly for patients undergoing robotic urologic oncology surgery. Through the landmark PENN (Preventing Excess Narcotic Prescriptions) prospective cohort quality improvement initiative—his most cited work with 24 citations—Ziemba demonstrated that the vast majority of robotic surgery patients do not require opioids upon discharge. By implementing a simple, standardized nonopioid protocol with an escalation pathway, his team achieved a dramatic reduction in narcotic prescribing while maintaining a patient-centered approach. Beyond this, Ziemba has contributed to the field’s infrastructure, authoring the Endourological Society’s inaugural census report, which captured critical demographic and practice data from over 1,300 urologists worldwide. His work exemplifies how rigorous, pragmatic quality improvement can directly address a public health emergency, offering a replicable model for reducing unnecessary opioid exposure in surgical oncology.