About

Dr. Thais Reif de Paula is a pioneering colorectal surgeon whose research centers on advancing minimally invasive surgical techniques, particularly through the innovative application of single-port robotic platforms and natural-orifice surgery. Her major contributions include the development and rigorous evaluation of the Robotic NICE (Natural-orifice IntraCorporeal Anastomosis with Extraction) procedure, a technique that eliminates abdominal incisions beyond port sites for left-sided colorectal resections. In a landmark prospective phase II/IDEAL Stage 2a trial (27 citations), she assessed the da Vinci single-port robot for both abdominal and transanal colorectal cases, demonstrating its feasibility and safety. Her work also addresses critical disparities, revealing through a national database analysis (14 citations) that minimally invasive surgery for rectal cancer is underutilized in older adults. With over 120 cumulative citations, Dr. de Paula has shown that the NICE procedure outperforms conventional laparoscopic approaches in matched cohort analyses (7 citations) and maintains high success rates even in complicated diverticulitis cases (6 citations). She further contributes to patient-centered care through needs assessments for robotic surgery education (5 citations), ensuring informed consent and realistic expectations. Her research is reshaping colorectal surgery by pushing the boundaries of what is possible with minimal access.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

7
H-Index
11
Papers
126
Total Citations
11
Avg Citations/Paper
🏆 Most Cited Paper
A prospective phase <scp>II</scp> clinical trial/<scp>IDEAL</scp> Stage 2a series of <scp>single‐port</scp> robotic colorectal surgery for abdominal and transanal cases
27 citations · 2023
📈 Most Prolific Year: 2023 (3 Papers)
🤝 Key Collaborators: 28
🏛 Institutions: Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, University of Houston, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Medical Center

Top Papers

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links

Available for collaboration
Content generated · 14 days ago