Karen A. Diefenbach
Papers
18
Total Citations
292
H-Index
8
About
Karen A. Diefenbach is a pioneering pediatric surgeon whose research has fundamentally shaped our understanding of robotic and minimally invasive surgery in children. With a career focused on advancing surgical technology for pediatric populations, Diefenbach has become one of the foremost authorities on the application of robotic-assisted techniques across a spectrum of childhood conditions, from hematologic disorders to oncologic resections and metabolic surgery. Her most influential work, "Utilization and costs associated with robotic surgery in children" (2015, 93 citations), established a critical foundation for evaluating the economic and practical dimensions of emerging surgical technologies in pediatric care. Building on this, she has systematically compared robotic and laparoscopic approaches for procedures including splenectomy, cholecystectomy, and sleeve gastrectomy in adolescents, providing clinicians with evidence-based guidance during a period of rapid technological adoption. Diefenbach has also made meaningful contributions to pediatric bariatric surgery, championing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols and investigating perioperative analgesic strategies in obese adolescents. More recently, her multi-center work on robotic tumor resection signals an expanding frontier in pediatric oncologic surgery. Collectively, her research — accumulating nearly 270 citations — continues to inform safer, more effective surgical care for children worldwide.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Utilization and costs associated with robotic surgery in children93 citations · 2015
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- 4Robotic vs. Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in Adolescents; Reality or Hype31 citations · 2016
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- 10Robotic-assisted resection of mediastinal tumors in pediatric patients6 citations · 2023