Stephen S. Johnston

About

Dr. Stephen S. Johnston is a health services researcher whose work centers on comparative effectiveness, surgical outcomes, and the real-world adoption of medical technologies. His research is distinguished by its use of large-scale, retrospective population-based data to evaluate how surgical approaches and tools impact patient safety and healthcare resource utilization. Dr. Johnston’s most impactful contribution is a landmark 2019 study demonstrating that minimally invasive colectomy significantly reduces the risk of anastomotic leak and other major perioperative complications compared to open surgery, while also lowering hospital resource use. With 55 citations, this work has been instrumental in supporting the shift toward laparoscopic and robotic techniques in colorectal surgery. More recently, Dr. Johnston has investigated the adoption of knotless barbed sutures in robotic surgery, a 2025 study that provides early evidence on trends in surgical tool utilization. By bridging clinical outcomes with health economics, his research offers actionable insights for surgeons and policymakers seeking to optimize perioperative care and operational efficiency.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Minimally invasive colectomy is associated with reduced risk of anastomotic leak and other major perioperative complications and reduced hospital resource utilization as compared with open surgery: a retrospective population-based study of comparative effectiveness and trends of surgical approach

   55 citations · 2019
2. 2
   Trends in adoption of knotless tissue control devices in robotic surgery

   2 citations · 2025

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links