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Jefferson Surgical Solutions

Drs. Francesco Palazzo and Talar Tatarian lead the Advanced Gastrointestinal, Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery Fellowship Program.


Drs. Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili and Olugbenga Okusanya lead the Thoracic Surgery Fellowship Program.

In 2024, the Jefferson Department of Surgery established new fellowship programs in Advanced Gastrointestinal, Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. The Department now offers post-graduate education across eight surgical subspecialties.

Advanced GI/MIS/Bariatric Surgery

Talar Tatarian, MD, FACS, FASMBS, is program director and Francesco Palazzo, MD, FACS, FASMBS, is associate program director for the Advanced Gastrointestinal, Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery Fellowship.

Fellows will be prepared to perform complex gastrointestinal, foregut, bariatric and hernia surgery, as well as all related care. With a primary focus on bariatric/foregut surgery and a secondary focus on hernia and abdominal wall reconstruction, they will gain extensive exposure to laparoscopic, robotic and open techniques. Additionally, they will have opportunities to complete clinically based research and are encouraged to publish their work in peer-reviewed journals.

Zachary Plona, MD, MEng, has matched as the inaugural 2025 fellow for this one-year clinical fellowship. A 2019 graduate of Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Dr. Plona also earned a Master of Engineering in Biomedical/Medical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and is currently completing his general surgery residency at Stony Brook Medicine.

“We’re excited to offer this fellowship program focused on preparing surgeons like Dr. Plona to excel in the practice of bariatric and minimally invasive general surgery,” said Dr. Tatarian.

The application cycle for 2026 opened on December 2, 2024. The deadline to apply is January 21, 2025.

For more information, please visit bit.ly/JeffersonAdvGIFellowship

Thoracic Surgery

The Thoracic Surgery Fellowship is led by Program Director Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili, MD, FACS, and Associate Program Director Olugbenga Okusanya, MD, FACS.

Fellows will be trained in the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management of all cardiothoracic surgical diseases. This includes developing strong decision-making skills and achieving the ability to operate independently on straightforward and moderately complex cases by the time of graduation. Furthermore, the fellowship will provide a solid foundation of knowledge and professional growth, preparing fellows to meet increasingly complex and novel clinical challenges throughout their careers.

Jacqueline Soegaard Ballester, MD, MBMI, will be joining as the inaugural 2025 fellow for this two-year clinical fellowship in Thoracic Surgery. She earned her Doctor of Medicine and Master of Biomedical Informatics degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is currently completing her general surgery residency and conducting post-doctoral research in clinical informatics.

“Today’s cardiothoracic surgeons must not only excel in surgical skills but also recognize the critical importance of evaluating and interpreting clinical data to inform decision-making, while adhering to appropriate ethical principles in providing optimal patient care,” said Dr. Tchantchaleishvili. “Through this program, we aim to cultivate surgeons who will lead not only within their communities but also on regional and national levels in the field of cardiothoracic surgery.”

The application cycle for 2026 opened on November 13, 2024, and ends on May 31, 2025.

For more information, please visit Jefferson.edu/CTSurgeryFellowship.

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