There are 6 fully integrated clinical subspecialty units (each with 3-6 surgeons) working in a collaborative model of shared care of patients:
Core Surgery (ACS/Trauma/AWR)
Breast Surgical Oncology
Colorectal Surgery
Foregut and Bariatric Surgery
Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery
General Surgical Oncology
Clinical services at The Ottawa Hospital's three campuses (Civic Campus, General Campus, and the Riverside ambulatory care campus), as well as the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
CHEO is the only Paediatric referral center for Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec:
A catchment population of over 600.000 children 18 yrs and under
From prenatal consults to patients up to 18 years of age.
Performs over 1200 surgical procedures annually
Sees over 3700 patients in the outpatient clinic annually
Learn more about our clinical programs below:
Core General Surgery
Acute Care Surgery | Trauma | Abdominal Wall Reconstruction
Dr. Giuseppe Pagliarello, MD, msc, FRCSC
Division Head, Assistant Professor
Fellowship Training
Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto
Residency Training
University of Toronto
Medical Doctorate
Queen's University
Other Degrees
Masters of Clinical Epidemiology, McMaster University
Dr. maher Matar, MD, MHA, FRCSC
General Surgery Program Director
Fellowship Training
Trauma Surgery, University of Ottawa
Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, The Medical University of South Carolina
Residency Training
McGill University
Medical Doctorate
University of Ottawa
Other Degrees
Master of Health Administration, Telfer School of Management
Dr. jacinthe Lampron, MD, MPH, FRCSC, FACS
Fellowship Training
Critical Care Medicine, University of Ottawa
Residency Training
Université Laval
Medical Doctorate
Université Laval
Other Degrees
Masters in Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Research Interests:
Trauma Surgery
General Surgery
Critical Care
Quality of Care
Patient Safety
International Surgery
Dr. Peter Glen, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Acute Care and Emergency Surgery, University of Alberta
Residency Training
General Surgery, University of Ottawa
Medical Doctorate
University of Ottawa
Other Degrees
Master of Science, Epidemiology, University of Ottawa
Dr. Alexandre Tran, MD, MSC, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Critical Care, University of Ottawa
Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, University of British Columbia
Residency Training
University of Ottawa
Medical Doctorate
McMaster University
Other Degrees
Master of Science, Clinical Epidemiology, University of Ottawa
Research Interests
Interventional clinical trial design in trauma and critical care
Dr. Nada gawad, md, maed, frcsc
Fellowship Training
Acute Care and Emergency Surgery , University of Alberta
Residency Training
University of Ottawa
Medical Doctorate
University of Toronto
Other Degrees
Masters of Medical Education, University of Ottawa
Research Interests
Surgical education, clinical-decision making skills, selection processes, equity, diversity and inclusion.
Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery
Dr. Fady Balaa, MD, MEd, FRCSC
Dr. Balaa received his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Ottawa and his MD degree at the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Balaa completed general surgery residency and fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at the University of Ottawa and fellowship in hepatobiliary surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Dr. Balaa has an interest in medical education and medical leadership. He has completed a Masters degree in Medical Education through the Center for Medical Education at the University of Dundee. He is actively involved in curriculum development for surgical skills training in simulated environments. He is a nucleus member of the General Surgery Specialty Committee and is a member of the Examination Board in General Surgery for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He completed a term as program director for the division of general surgery. He also completed a term as the division chief for General Surgery at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Balaa is actively involved in promoting integrated models of care.
Dr. Guillaume Martel, MDCM, MSc, FRCSC, FACS
Fellowship Training
Fellowship, HPB Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Université de Montréal
Fellowship, Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, University of Ottawa
Residency Training
University of Ottawa
Medical Doctorate
McGill University
Other Degrees
Master’s of Science, Epidemiology, University of Ottawa
Research Interests
Hepatobiliary
Pancreatic Surgery
Dr. Kimberly Bertens, MD, MPH, FRCSC, FACS
Dr. Bertens completed medical school and General Surgery residency the University of Western Ontario. She then went on to complete a fellowship in Hepatobiliary surgery at Virginia Mason Medical Centre in Seattle, Washington. In addition Dr. Bertens has completed a Masters of Public Health with a focus in quantitative methods at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her research interests include the interface between sociodemographic factors and access to surgical care.
Dr. Jad Abou-Khalil, MDCM, MSC, FRCSC
Dr. Abou-Khalil completed his medical school and residency at McGill University in Montreal before pursuing fellowship training in Hepato-Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery at Seattle’s Virginia Mason Medical Center. As a Hepatobiliary surgeon he is primarily interested in the surgical treatment of diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tree and has a special interest in laparoscopic and minimally invasive techniques. Armed with a master’s degree in epidemiology, Dr. Abou-khalil’s research focuses on surgical outcomes and the use of “big data” to address and inform questions relating to the care of surgical patients, specifically those undergoing surgery of the liver, pancreas and biliary tree.
Dr. Richard Gilbert, MD, MSC, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
HPB & Transplant, University of British Columbia
Residency Training
University of Ottawa
Medical Doctorate
National University of Ireland
Other Degrees
Master’s of Science
Research Interests
Interventional clinical trial design in trauma and critical care
Bariatrics & Foregut
Dr. Joseph Mamazza, MDCM, FRCSC, FACS
Residency Training:
McGill University
Medical Doctorate:
McGill University MDCM
Other:
Member of the North American Fellowship Council
Research Interests:
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Gastrointestinal and Colorectal Disease
Bariatric Surgery
Adrenal Surgery
Dr. Amy neville, MDCM, MSC, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Bariatric Surgery, McGill University
Advanced Foregut and Laparoscopic Surgery, McGill University
Residency Training
McGill University
Medical Doctorate
McGill University
Other Degrees
Master of Epidemiology, McGill University
Dr. Nicole Kolozsvari, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Bariatric Surgery, McGill University
Residency Training
General Surgery, McGill University
Medical Doctorate
University of Western Ontario
Other Degrees
Master of Science (Experimental Surgery), McGill University
Dr. Caolan Walsh, MD, MBA, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Bariatric Surgery, Institut universitaire de cardiologie and de pneumologie de Québec (IUCPQ), Université de Laval, Québec City, QC
Minimally Invasive and Foregut Surgery, VU University Medical Center - vUMC site, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON
Residency Training
General Surgery, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Medical Doctorate
Université de Sherbrooke - Moncton Campus, Moncton, NB
Other Degrees
Masters of Business Administration (MBA), Telfer School of Management
Breast Surgical Oncology
Dr. Angel Arnaout, MD, MSC, MBA, FRCSC, FACS
Dr. Angel Arnaout is a Breast Surgical Oncologist at the Ottawa Hospital, Clinical Investigator at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa. In addition to her clinical and scientific research interests, her passion as a surgeon is to aggressively treat breast cancer but with minimal side effects and cosmetic detriment, recognizing the importance of body image on the breast cancer patient. As such is also the pioneer in Oncoplastic Surgery in Ottawa; a new minimally invasive breast surgical technique that combines breast cancer surgery with plastic surgical techniques.
Fellowship training
Breast surgical oncology, University of Toronto
Residency Training
University of Toronto
Medical Doctorate
Dalhousie University
Other Degrees
Masters of Science, University of Toronto
Masters of business administration, University of Toronto
Research Interests:
Implementation of the latest surgical techniques in breast cancer surgery
Development of strategies that facilitate greater access and timeliness of care for breast cancer patients
Investigation of translational biomarkers in breast cancer
Dr. Erin Cordeiro, MD, MSC, FRCSC
Fellowship Training:
Fellowship, Breast Surgical Oncology, University of Toronto
Residency Training:
Dalhousie University
Medical Doctorate:
Dalhousie University
Other Degrees:
Master of Science, Clinical Epidemiology, University of Toronto
Clinical Interests:
Optimizing the treatment of high-risk benign breast disease
Clinical epidemiology of breast cancer and outcomes of cancer treatment
DR. LISA FINDLAY-SHIRRAS, MBBS, MSc, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Breast Surgical Oncology, University of Ottawa
Residency Training
University of Manitoba
Medical Doctorate
University of Queensland, Australia
Other Degrees
Masters of Science, University of Manitoba
Research Interests
Breast Cancer
Oncoplastic breast surgery
Population and public health
Surgical Oncology
Dr. Rebecca Auer, MD, MSc, FRCSC, FACS
Fellowship Training
Surgical Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York
Residency Training
University of Ottawa
Medical Doctorate
Queen's University
Other Degrees
Masters in biochemistry and molecular biology, University of Ottawa
Dr. Carolyn Nessim, MD, MSC, FRCSC, FACS
Fellowship Training
Surgical Oncology - Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre - Melbourne, Australia
Surgical Oncology, University of Toronto
Residency Training
University of Montreal
Medical Doctorate
University of Montreal
Clinical Interests
Improvement and assessment of quality indicators in cancer surgery (Melanoma Sarcoma and Gastric Cancer)
Large database multi-institutional collaborative clinical research on Sarcoma, Melanoma and Gastric Cancer
Investigation of oncolytic viruses and immunomarkers in melanoma and sarcoma which are prognostic and predictive of treatment efficacy
Dr. Shaheer Tadros, MD, FRCSC, FACS
Active Staff at TOH division of General surgery with privileges in General Surgery. Extensive experience in MIS and Upper and Lower GI endoscopy. Extensive experience in a wide variety of General Thoracic procedures including Pulmonary and esophageal surgery, thoracoscopic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Appointed Program Director for Division of General Surgery Residency Program, University of Ottawa School of Medicine, Jan 2014. Lecturer at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine involved in the teaching of medical student, OSCE and member of the undergraduate educational committee responsible for the Ambulatory rotation at the Riverside site.
Dr. Brittany Dingley, MD, MPH, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Surgical Oncology, University of Ottawa
Residency Training
University of Calgary
Medical Doctorate
University of Calgary
Other Degrees
Master of Public Health, Harvard University
Clinical Interests
My personal research program focuses around advanced cancer care, both with peritoneal malignancy but also palliative surgery. We are currently working to understand the Canadian context in peritoneal malignancy and will be working towards a Pan Canadian Database. This will integrate synoptic reporting and AI to achieve prospective data collection. We are creating a palliative surgical program which will be a first of its kind in Canada, and will serve to provide guidance to other sites interested in creating something similar.I am also involved in a surgical clinical trial in melanoma and have a large merkel cell carcinoma database with Dr Carolyn Nessim.
DR. SAMEER APTE, MD, MSC, FRCSC, FACS
Fellowship Training
Surgical Oncology - University of Ottawa
Residency Training
University of Alberta
Medical Doctorate
McGill University
Dr. Robin Boushey, MD, PhD, CIP, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Colorectal Surgery, Lahey Clinic, Burlington, Massachussetts
Minimally Invasive Surgery, University of Toronto
Residency Training
University of Toronto 2003
Medical Doctorate
University of Toronto
Other Degrees
PhD, University of Toronto
Colorectal Surgery
Civic Campus
Dr. Lara Williams, MD, MSC, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Colorectal and Minimally Invasive Surgery, University of Ottawa
Residency Training
Dalhousie University
Medical Doctorate
University of Western Ontario
Other Degrees
Masters of medical sciences, Dalhousie University
Dr. Husein Moloo, MD, MSC, MPH, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Minimally invasive surgery, University of Ottawa
Colorectal surgery, University of Minnesota
Residency Training
University of Western Ontario
Medical Doctorate
University of Western Ontario
Other Degrees
Masters of Epidemiology, University of Ottawa
Masters of Public Health, Harvard University
Dr. Isabelle Raiche, MD, MaeD, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Colorectal Surgery, Washington’s University St Louis
Minimally Invasive Surgery, University of Ottawa
Residency Training
Université Laval
Medical Doctorate
Université Laval
Other Degrees
Masters of Education, University of Ottawa
Dr. Lisa Zhang MD, MSC, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Colorectal Surgery, University of Ottawa
Residency Training
Queen’s University
Medical Doctorate
University of Toronto
Other Degrees
Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Leadership Program
Master of Science (Dist) Global Health Science and Epidemiology
Colorectal Surgery
Ambulatory care
Dr. Martin Friedlich, MD, MED, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Colorectal Surgery, University of Toronto
Residency Training
General Surgery, University of Alberta
Medical Doctorate
University of Toronto
Other Degrees
Masters of Surgical Education, University of Toronto
Pediatric Surgery
Dr. Gil Eamer, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Pediatric General Surgery, McMaster University
Residency Training
University of Alberta
Medical Doctorate
University of British Columbia
Other Degrees
Clinician Investigator Program
DR. Kyle Cowan, MD, pHD, FRCSC
Dr. Cowan is a pediatric general surgeon at CHEO, a scientist at the CHEO Research Institute, and an associate professor in the Departments of Surgery and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Cowan completed a Ph.D. in cardiovascular research under the supervision of Dr. Marlene Rabinovitch at the Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto where he studied the pathophysiology of primary arterial hypertension and approaches to its reversal. Dr. Cowan then started medical studies at the University of Toronto, which was followed by a 5-year general surgery residency at the University of Western Ontario. During his residency, Dr. Cowan continued his basic science training with the completion of a post-doctoral fellowship in the area of cell communication (connexins and pannexins) and tumour biology in the laboratory of Dr. Dale W. Laird at the University of Western Ontario, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. After finishing his general surgery residency and a postdoctoral fellowship in 2009, Dr. Cowan completed a pediatric surgery fellowship (2009-2011) at CHEO. His research focuses on the role of pannexins in skeletal muscle health and muscle dystrophy, as well as in pediatric cancers such as rhabdomyosarcoma and neuroblastoma. Dr. Cowan is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation joint Resident Research Award, Physician Services Incorporated Foundation Resident Research Award, and the American College of Cardiology Young Investigator's Award. Clinical interests: Pediatric general and thoracic surgery, Neonatal Surgery, Translational Research, Precision Oncology Research
DR. Ahmed Nasr, MD, MSC, FRCSC
Dr. Nasr completed his medical studies, general surgery training, and a Ph.D. in Egypt. Upon his arrival in Canada, he pursued and completed his Canadian medical training in General Surgery at the University of Toronto, where he also completed his Pediatric Surgical Fellowship as well as his NICU Fellowship. During this time, he obtained a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology. Dr. Nasr joined CHEO in September 2011. Dr. Nasr is currently the Medical Director for the Trauma Program and is a pediatric surgeon in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at CHEO. Dr. Nasr’s academic and research focus include minimally invasive surgery, pediatric trauma, and evidence-based medicine. Dr. Nasr is the Principal Investigator and principal founder of the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons Evidence-Based Resource, a knowledge base that provides and promotes evidence-based practice amongst pediatric surgeons on a global level, thereby ensuring children and youth receive the best surgical care globally. As the Chair of the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons Research Committee, he is proactive with research and has over 80 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Marcos Bettolli, MD, FRCSC
Dr. Bettolli completed his medical studies and earned his Medicinae Doctor degree at the Catholic University of Cordoba, Argentina. He completed his residency in Pediatric Surgery at the Hospital Infantil de la Municipalidad de Cordoba and obtained his degree of Pediatric Surgeon at the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. In 2004, Dr. Bettolli arrived in Canada as the Clinical Research Fellow at CHEO with a scholarship granted from the University of Ottawa. The focus of his research is in basic science - gastrointestinal dysmotility and Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS). During his Fellowship of 3 years, he developed two advanced immunostaining histopathology procedures for post-operative and intraoperative assessment of Hirschsprung's Disease pathology. He was then recruited as Assistant Professor at CHEO. His career focuses are centered on MIS, chest wall deformities, and teaching. Today, CHEO is recognized as having one of the strongest MIS Pediatric Surgery Programs across Canada and is a referral center for chest wall deformities. In 2012, Dr. Bettolli introduced Bracing Therapy, which is a non-operative treatment for Pectus Carinatum, to CHEO and the Ottawa region. In the same year, Dr. Bettolli became one of the pioneers in non-invasive correction for Pectus Excavatum. By introducing and prescribing the Eckhart Klobe vacuum bell, Dr. Bettolli has brought CHEO to the forefront as a leader with this alternative treatment. In 2010, Dr. Bettolli became the educational leader for the Pediatric Surgery undergraduate program at the University of Ottawa. As the educational leader, he is involved in teaching, development, and organization of the Undergraduate Pediatric Surgery curriculum at all levels. In 2014, he was promoted to Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa and earned his distinction as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (FRCSC). Clinical interests: Minimally invasive surgery, Chest wall deformities, Quality Improvement Pediatric Program (NSQIP)
Dr. justyna wolinska, MD, FRCSC
Fellowship Training
Pediatric General Surgery, University of Toronto
Residency Training
University of Toronto
Medical Doctorate
Jagiellonian University Medical College