Papers
7
Total Citations
69
H-Index
3
About
Michael Gong is a pioneering urologic surgeon and researcher whose work centers on robotic-assisted surgery for bladder and prostate cancers, with a particular focus on optimizing lymph node dissection techniques. His landmark 2012 study, cited 39 times, demonstrated that extended lymph node dissection during robotic cystectomy achieves equivalent quality to open surgery, directly challenging criticisms of minimally invasive approaches and establishing robotic surgery as a viable standard for bladder cancer staging and treatment. Gong also made critical contributions to patient safety, notably identifying and characterizing upper and middle trunk brachial plexopathy as a complication of robotic prostatectomy—a finding that has informed surgical positioning protocols to prevent nerve injuries. His research extends to comparing extended versus standard lymph node dissection for survival outcomes in node-negative bladder cancer, and he has helped codify the step-by-step technique for robot-assisted radical cystectomy at Cleveland Clinic. Additionally, Gong has investigated health-related quality of life in prostate cancer patients on active surveillance, reflecting a commitment to patient-centered outcomes. With a career spanning multispecialty robotic applications, his work has shaped modern urologic oncology practice, improving both surgical precision and patient safety.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Upper and Middle Trunk Brachial Plexopathy After Robotic Prostatectomy19 citations · 2012
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- 6Multispeciality Applications of Robotic Technology2 citations · 2008
- 7Upper and Middle Trunk Brachial Plexopathy After Robotic Prostatectomy2 citations · 2013