Surgery
General Surgery
The UNLV Health General Surgery Clinic provides excellent patient-centered surgical care in an environment that is focused on the unique surgical needs of every patient. We strive to provide every doctor to patient interaction with empathy, compassion, humility, integrity, and respect.
Oncology Surgery
UNLV Health doctors are here to help, providing respectful, compassionate, and highly advanced surgical oncology care.
Services and Treatments
Surgical Oncology
- Breast surgery
- Breast biopsy
- Endocrine & Thyroid tumors
- Gastrointestinal tumors
- Liver ablation
- Melanomas
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Pancreas, liver, bile duct tumors & disorders
- Robotic surgery
- Sarcoma
Pediatric Surgery
UNLV Health provides advanced diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care for children with surgical needs. When needed our pediatric surgical specialists can provide robotic microsurgery solutions for children ranging from premature infants with congenital birth defects to adolescent trauma victims. Always working to provide surgical solutions that are minimally invasive so kids can get back to being, kids.
Plastic Surgery
UNLV Health Plastic Surgery’s group of talented physicians and caring support staff treat every patient with the highest respect, care and attentiveness.
General Surgery
Click on the map for directions to UNLV General Surgery clinic office from Google Maps
- Call Us: 702-671-5150
- Parking: Free parking is available in our parking lot. No street parking is available at this location.
- Click here to see the homepage for this office
Pediatric Surgery
Click on the map for directions to UNLV Health Pediatric Surgery Clinic from Google Maps
- Call Us: 702-650-2500
- Parking: Free parking is available in our parking lot.
- Click here to see the homepage for this office
Plastic Surgery
Cosmetic and Reconstructive
Click on the map for directions to UNLV Plastic Surgery office from Google Maps
- Call Us: 702-671-5110
- Parking: Free parking is available in our parking lot.
- Click here to see the homepage for this office
Oncology Surgery
Click on the map for directions to UNLV Health General Surgery Clinic office from Google Maps
- Call Us: 702-671-5150
- Parking: Free parking is available in our parking lot. No street parking is available at this location.
- Click here to see the homepage for this office
Annabel E. Barber, MD, FACS
General Surgery, Oncology, and Gastrointestinal Disorders
Dr. Annabel Barber, a professor of surgery at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, is a board-certified surgeon who performs surgeries for patients with breast, colorectal, thyroid and head and neck cancers. She also sees patients with the following gastrointestinal disorders: acid reflux, heartburn, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Ovunc Bardakcioglu, MD
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Dr. Ovunc Bardakcioglu, an associate professor of surgery at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, serves as chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery.
Dr. Bardakcioglu was educated in Germany and chose to specialize in general surgery during his residency at Beth Israel Medical Center.
He completed a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.
Jennifer Baynosa, MD
General Surgery, Breast Oncology
Dr. Jennifer Baynosa is an associate professor of breast oncology surgery at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.
A graduate of the USC Keck School of Medicine, she completed her general surgery residence at the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. After residency, she completed a breast surgery fellowship at Stanford University.
Currently the program director for the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV General Surgery Residency, her main research interest is breast cancer and how it metastasizes.
Richard Baynosa, MD, FACS
Plastic Surgery
Richard Baynosa, MD, FACS, a professor and founding chair of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, also serves as the chair of the surgery department at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, the only Level 1 trauma center in the region.
He also serves as the chief of plastic surgery at Mountain View Hospital and Medical Center.
Jocelyn Burke, MD
General Surgery
Jocelyn Burke, MD, an assistant professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery, specializes in robotic foregut surgery, with particular interest in hiatal hernia repair, anti-reflux surgery and surgery for gastrointestinal motility disorders, including achalasia and gastroparesis.
Yvonne Marie Carter, MD
Thoracic Surgery
Yvonne Marie Carter, MD, a thoracic surgeon who earned her medical degree at Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City, is an associate professor and thoracic surgery section chief in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery.
Shirong (Sara) Chang, MD
Pediatric Surgery
Dr. Chang, an assistant professor of pediatric surgery at Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, is a board-certified general and pediatric surgeon.
Her areas of special interest include surgical disease of the newborn gastrointestinal tract, anorectal malformations, pediatric surgical oncology, minimally invasive surgery, and surgery for inflammatory bowel disease.
Jared Griffard, MD
General & Trauma Surgery
Jared Griffard, MD, an assistant professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery, graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine.
He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Tennessee Medical Center – Knoxville, and completed a fellowship in acute care surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, becoming board-certified in both general surgery and surgical critical care.
Casey Giles, PA-C
Plastic, Reconstructive, & Aesthetic Surgery
Casey Giles is one of the advanced practice providers in the UNLV Health Plastic Surgery Clinic. She is a Las Vegas native and alumni of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She attended the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio for physician assistant training. Casey graduated top of her class and was inducted into the Pi Alpha and Alpha Eta honor societies.
Lance Horner, MD
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Lance Horner, MD, grew up in Reno, Nevada. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno for undergraduate studies graduating Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology. Dr. Horner went on to pursue his medical doctorate at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine where he was elected to the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. Upon graduation from the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Dr.
Daniel M. Kirgan, MD
General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
Dr. Daniel Kirgan, a professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery, is currently vice chair of the department, and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology.
A graduate of the George Washington University School of Medicine, he completed his general surgical residency at the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine. Following completion of his residency, Dr. Kirgan did a two-year surgical oncology fellowship at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in California.
Joshua MacDavid, MD
Plastic Surgery
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Joshua MacDavid, MD, is an assistant professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Plastic Surgery. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Dr. MacDavid completed a residency in general surgery at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine and also completed a fellowship in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Stephanie Lynne Martinez, MD
General & Trauma Surgery
Stephanie Martinez, MD, an assistant professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery, received her medical doctorate and completed her general surgery residency at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Originally from Buffalo, NY, Dr. Martinez did her fellowship training in burn surgery, surgical critical care, and trauma surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her areas of interest include acute management of coagulopathy and resuscitation in burn-trauma patients, as well as burn reconstruction.
Allison G. McNickle, MD
General Surgery, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care
Allison McNickle, MD, FACS, is an assistant professor at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery and the section chief of trauma surgery.
Also the program director of the medical school’s acute care surgery fellowship, vice chief of trauma and chair of the Critical Care Committee at University Medical Center, Dr. McNickle is board-certified in general surgery and surgical critical care.
John M. Menezes, MD
Plastic Surgery, Cleft Lip & Palate Repair
Dr. John Menezes, an associate professor with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, is the only fellowship-trained Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine craniofacial surgeon in Las Vegas.
Among his areas of expertise are cleft lip and palate repair, craniosynostosis, ear reconstruction, microsurgery, and adult and pediatric facial trauma.
Ashley Pistorio, MD, MS
Hand Surgery
Dr. Pistorio is originally from Maryland. She worked in biomedical research for ten years prior to medical school. She completed her undergraduate degree at Thomas Edison State College in animal science and her master’s degree in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University.
Odessa Pulido, DO, MS
General & Trauma Surgery
Odessa Pulido, DO, MS, is an assistant professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dr. Pulido earned her medical degree and completed her general surgery residency at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She then continued with her training and completed a fellowship in surgical critical care at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey.
Meenakshi Rajan, MD
Plastic Surgery
Meenakshi Rajan, MD, who has extensive training in the treatment of breast cancer patients, particularly in complex microvascular breast reconstruction, is an assistant professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Rajan earned her medical degree at Rush University Medical College, completing her general surgery residency training at Cleveland Clinic Florida and plastic surgery residency training at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio.
Michael Scheidler, MD
Pediatric Surgery
Dr. Michael Scheidler, an associate professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery, is chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery.
Charles St Hill, MD, MSc, FACS
Surgical Oncology, Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, General Surgery
Dr. Charles St. Hill, an assistant professor with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery, has pursued research in cancer surgery/clinical trials program development.
A graduate of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, he offers clinical trials for patients who fit the criteria for certain studies. “We’ve done several sponsored clinical trials that have helped patients who don’t have the resources, which help to advance the research while offering more options for patients.”
Lorena Suarez-Kelly, MD
General Surgery, Oncology
Lorena Patricia Suarez-Kelly, MD, who specializes in the management of complex cancer patients, is an assistant professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Surgery.
Her research focuses on the use of immune modulators to treat cancer and enhance the actions of antitumor therapies
Angelie Teng, PA-C
Plastic Surgery
Angelie attended the University of Washington, where she pursued her undergraduate degree in Biology with a focus on Physiology. Following this, she obtained her physician assistant degree from Case Western Reserve University. She initially practiced in general surgery before transitioning to the plastic surgery clinic at UNLV Health.
Joseph Thornton, MD
General Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery
Dr. Joseph Thornton, an associate professor with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, has been a practicing colon and rectal surgeon in Las Vegas for more than 25 years.
A graduate of Meharry Medical College in Nashville who later did a colon rectal surgery fellowship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Dr. Thornton is board certified in colon and rectal surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
Brian Ward, MD PhD
Dr. Brian C. Ward, an assistant professor of surgery at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, is a general surgeon who treats patients with a wide variety of conditions, including hernias and diseases of the breast, stomach, colon, rectal, small bowel and gallbladder.
He also handles cases involving skin and soft tissue masses and disease.
Earning his MD from Indiana University, Dr. Ward completed his residency at UNLV in general surgery. He also holds a doctorate in biomedical engineering from Purdue University.
Patient’s Experience with UNLV Health ‘Couldn’t Have Gone Better’
Throughout treatment for breast cancer, Cornelia ‘Connie’ Jackson found Jennifer Baynosa, MD, and the UNLV Health General Surgery Clinic staff to be ’so caring and so professional.’
Between 2009 and 2022, Cornelia “Connie” Jackson had three abnormal mammograms. The nagging worry that accompanied the first two – both turned out to be false alarms – was practically nonexistent by the time she was told last year she needed another follow-up exam.
Leading the Largest Military-Civilian Partnership in the Country
Air Force Lt. Col. Jeremy Kilburn, a doctor specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine, is an associate professor of medicine at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV as well as the school’s director of the Office of Military Medicine. Here, he provides insight into a unique military-civilian partnership that he says is the most complex in the United States.
School of Medicine Resident Physicians Sharpen Surgery Skills
Working with cadavers provides medical students with valuable experience.
Inside the Oquendo Center, a large medical event space near McCarran International Airport, eight human cadavers lay on individual operating tables, each one surrounded by an array of surgical equipment.
Former UNLV Medicine Fellow Joins Faculty
Dr. Joseph Carroll says the opportunity to be part of the
medical
school’s team at the UMC Trauma Center was too good to pass up.
It was when he was in the seventh grade that Dr. Joseph Carroll, now an assistant professor in the UNLV School of Medicine’s department of surgery, first thought about becoming a physician.
Internationally Known Trauma Surgeon Begins Work as School of Medicine Dean
Dr. John Fildes continues the vision for establishing UNLV’s academic medical center.
In August, just days after being named interim dean of the UNLV School of Medicine, Dr. John Fildes was before a gathering of the world’s best surgeons, delivering a keynote address on handling mass casualty situations. It’s a topic with which he is all too familiar.
Surgeon Encourages Minority Students to Pursue Medical Careers
The story that ran in the Las Vegas Review-Journal last May was compelling. Mary Kay Duda’s life was saved by UNLV Medicine’s Dr. Charles St. Hill.
St. Hill, one of only three fellowship-trained surgical oncologists in Nevada, performed a complex 10-hour surgery known as a Whipple procedure to remove a large tumor that enveloped her pancreas.
“I’ve been given the gift of life,” a grateful Duda would later tell St. Hill and reporter Jessie Bekker.
Inspirational Goals
UNLV Plastic Surgeon Reattaches Roper’s Thumb
Ben Mays held his nearly severed thumb, dangling by a ligament, in his right palm as he rode his 17-year-old quarter horse Bubby out of the South Point Arena and across the parking lot to an ambulance.
He swung the doors open, held out his dangling digit to show the stunned paramedic inside, and handed his horse over to another roper. Then he climbed in and held a bag of ice on his thumb — still shoved inside the white glove he had been wearing — as first responders sped him to University Medical Center in Las Vegas.
Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery
If your child has a cleft lip and/or palate or other craniofacial disorder a good place to start is with the UNLV Medicine Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery team.
Each child is an individual, however, and you should be sure to discuss your child’s unique situation during your first appointment with Dr. Menezes and the UNLV Medicine multi-disciplinary management team.
Dr. Deborah Kuhls Reflects on Mass Shooting
They sought a carefree weekend out on the town.
Some were from Vegas, many drove in from Southern California, and others journeyed on a plane to escape the worries of their everyday lives.
That’s what set the evening apart from so many others that Dr. Deborah Kuhls has spent in UMC’s trauma center.
Dr. Jennifer Baynosa, Surgical Oncologist
From her extended family what Dr. Jennifer Baynosa often heard as a child was that one day she would find a nice man, fall in love, get married, and have a family.
Taking care of her children and her husband, preparing their meals and washing their clothes, was the future that would be hers.
Dr. Joseph Thornton on Overcoming Obstacles
Dr. Joseph Thornton’s road to becoming a physician makes you realize yet again that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
He grew up in a single parent household on the south side of Chicago, the son of an African American bartender who wanted the best for her son. His two aunts, both maids, also lived in the home.
“Combining incomes made the housing affordable,” says the 72-year-old colorectal surgeon who now is an associate professor in the UNLV School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery. “For good times they loved to go to the racetrack and watch the horses run.”
Leaving Them Smiling
For children with rare conditions, UNLV Medicine surgeon restores the ability to show happiness. It’s a procedure that leaves both the patient and the surgeon with smiles on their faces. Surgery to correct the effects of Moebius syndrome – a rare congenital condition that can paralyze a person’s entire face and affect muscles that control back and forth eye movement – can make it impossible for a person to show that sign of happiness that most people take for granted.
UNLV Physician’s Skills Include Craniofacial Surgery
Moebius syndrome — a rare congenital condition that can paralyze the entire face and affect muscles that control back-and-forth eye movement.
To unlock Moebius paralysis — it affects something we take for granted, the ability to smile — is something that Dr. John Menezes, an associate professor of plastic surgery with the UNLV School of Medicine, has been trained to do.
Groundbreaking Robotic Surgery
UNLV Medicine Dr. Ovunc Bardakcioglu, successfully performed a breakthrough surgical procedure using a new robotic device that required no incision through the skin, significantly shortened recovery time, and lessened the chances of infection.
Pediatric Surgeon Dr. Michael Scheidler
The story of how Dr. Michael G. Scheidler, the son of a mailman and the youngest of eight children, became one of the nation’s top pediatric surgeons is one of perseverance.
Though the chief of pediatric surgery at the UNLV School of Medicine couldn’t see himself becoming anything other than a physician, that vision wasn’t always shared by educators.
Read the full story here.
UNLV Medicine Surgeon Leads State’s Only Organ Transplant Program
Dr. John Ham, professor of surgery at UNLV School of Medicine, leads UMC’s kidney transplantation program – which has one of the best 3-year survival rates in the nation.
Read the full story here.
UNLV Surgical Oncologist Performs 10-Hour Whipple Procedure
As doctors wheeled 75-year-old Mary Kay Duda into surgery for a pancreatic tumor, she turned to her daughter, Katie, and said, “See you on the flip side.”
Katie Duda, 36, rolled her eyes at the memory, humorous now that her mother is nearing two years cancer-free. At the time, though, the thought of losing her mother was unbearably real.
Mary Kay Duda says she’s one of the lucky unlucky ones. Unlucky in that the tumor growing inside her enveloped the head of her pancreas. Unlucky in that one Las Vegas surgeon declined to operate because the tumor was so large.