General Surgery

General surgeons are surgical specialists who do a wide range of operative procedures: 1) intra-abdominal organs including small and large intestine, stomach, gall bladder and biliary track 2) breast surgery for both malignant and benign conditions 3) thyroid and parathyroid surgery 4) hernia surgery, and 5) soft tissue tumours.

General surgeons at North York General Hospital use minimally invasive techniques (e.g. laparoscopic surgery) for many procedures including gall bladder surgery, hernia repairs, colon surgery, appendectomy and splenectomy. When appropriate, these techniques are used to minimize hospital stay, improve cosmetic results and speed return to normal activities.

We are leaders in breast conserving surgery for breast cancer and sentinel lymph node biopsy. These techniques allow for optimal surgical cancer treatment with a minimum of deformity and complications. General surgeons at North York General provide extensive endoscopy services to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of gastro-intestinal illnesses.

Our General Surgery Division is recognized by the University of Toronto for providing both high quality and high volume surgical services. We participate in the training of General Surgery residents from the University of Toronto program. As well, we participate in planning and presenting Surgical Update courses from the University of Toronto.

Cancer surgery

We have one of the largest cancer care programs in the GTA and an outstanding reputation for diagnosing and treating patients with cancer. The Surgery Program works closely with the skilled professionals across our hospital programs to provide you with the very best care. If a service you need is not available in our hospital, we will help you to access it elsewhere. 

Colon cancer

The volume of colon cancer surgeries we perform is among the highest in the GTA. Wait times for colon cancer cases average under three weeks. Every general surgeon on staff does colon cancer surgery — ensuring high quality care and our ability to handle a large number of cases. A treatment option for colon cancer includes minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic), where appropriate.

We are increasing the number of endoscopies (a test that looks inside the body) we do so patients can access health care services faster. The hospital's Laboratory Medicine Department provides diagnostic support to oncology and medical imaging teams.

Breast cancer

We are an acknowledged leader in breast cancer care in the GTA. Our physicians use breast-conserving surgery whenever possible, combined with the use of sentinel node biopsy. When needed, plastic surgeons are involved in reconstructive procedures.

General Surgeons

Dr. Lloyd Smith (Chief of Surgery) 
Dr. Nancy Down (Division Chief)
Dr. Yasser Botros
Dr. Stan Feinberg
Dr. Ian Forrest
Dr. Usmaan Hameed 
Dr. Neelesh Jain
Dr. Donna McRitchie
Dr. Fahima Osman
Dr. Brian Pinchuk
Dr. Peter Stotland
Dr. David Smith
Dr. Natalya Zhang

Vascular surgery

North York General's vascular surgery service treats the surgical problems of arteries and veins. This includes surgery on narrowed arteries to prevent strokes, repair of abdominal aneurysms, and bypass procedures on narrowed arteries to prevent limb loss.

These illnesses are common in elderly patients, smokers and diabetics. The treatments offered include both traditional surgical approaches as well as endovascular stenting, a minimally invasive surgical procedure that uses advanced technology and instruments to treat disorders of the circulatory system. We have partnered with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre to provide endovascular procedures.

Vascular Surgeon

Dr. Ian Forrest