Michael A. Napolitano

About

Michael A. Napolitano is a surgeon-researcher whose work focuses on the adoption and outcomes of minimally invasive surgical techniques—particularly robotic and laparoscopic approaches—within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). His major contributions center on evaluating how these technologies perform in real-world, large-scale veteran populations. His most cited paper, “Trends and outcomes of open, laparoscopic, and robotic inguinal hernia repair in the veterans affairs system” (2021, 27 citations), provides a critical comparative analysis of surgical approaches, highlighting the VHA’s unique role in assessing robotic surgery’s effectiveness. Napolitano’s work on robotic foregut surgery (2022, 6 citations) challenges historical assumptions about robotic platforms, showing that within the VHA, operative times are decreasing and outcomes improving. He has also investigated thymectomy outcomes (2021, 4 citations) and the utility of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in veterans (2023, 1 citation), noting the system’s slower adoption of these techniques. By leveraging the VHA’s comprehensive data, Napolitano offers evidence-based insights that directly inform surgical practice and policy for a large, often underserved patient population.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Trends and outcomes of open, laparoscopic, and robotic inguinal hernia repair in the veterans affairs system

   27 citations · 2021
2. 2
   Robotic Foregut Surgery in the Veterans Health Administration: Increasing Prevalence, Decreasing Operative Time, and Improving Outcomes

   6 citations · 2022
3. 3
   Clinical Outcomes and Technical Approach of Thymectomy in the Veterans Health Administration

   4 citations · 2021
4. 4
   Video-assisted thoracic surgery utility in veterans: a narrative review

   1 citations · 2023

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links