About
Personal Statement
For more information on Dr. Del Pizzo, including office contact information, please visit his department profile.
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Video Visits / Telemedicine Appointments
At Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Urology, our top priority remains the care of our patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are emphasizing the use of Video Visits to provide a safe, effective, secure, and convenient way to provide care. Video Visits allows us to continue to fulfill our mission to provide best-in-class care for all of our patients.
New and existing patients will have direct access to Dr. Del Pizzo through a smartphone (preferred) or computer. Our patients will receive instructions to a unique, secure, and private link to access the Video Visit session once the appointment is scheduled.
Nearly all of our visits are being performed via Video Visit at this time. During the Video Visit with Dr. Del Pizzo, he will determine if an in-person office visit is needed.
Please call our office at (646) 962-9600 to schedule a private Video Visit today.
Tips to Prepare for a Successful Video Visit
Click on the links below for more information and instructions on how to inititate your Video Visit.
Video Visit Instructional Guide
Weill Cornell Medicine Video Visits
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Specialties and Expertise
Specialties
- Urology
Expertise
- Live Donor Nephrectomy
- Kidney Transplant
- Laparoscopy
- Kidney Cancer
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Endourology
- Laser Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Urology
- Robotic Surgery
- Laparoscopic Nephrectomy
- Kidney Transplantation
- Laparoscopic Living Donor Nephrectomy
- Laser Urology
- Non-Surgical Kidney Stones
- Nephrectomy
Biography
Joseph J. Del Pizzo, M.D. is the E. Darracott Vaughan Jr., Professor of Urology and the Board Certified Director of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery for the Department of Urology at Weill Cornell Medicine. He joined the surgical staff at The New York Presbyterian Hospital in 2000 after serving as a clinical fellow in Laparoscopy and Minimally Invasive Urology. Prior to his fellowship, he completed his urology residency at the University of Maryland, one of the largest centers for urologic laparoscopy in the country, where he helped to establish some of the anatomical landmarks for performing laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy.
At the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Del Pizzo has established one of the most active and effective centers for laparoscopic and robotic surgery in urology. He has vast experience in the laparoscopic and robotic treatment of kidney and adrenal tumors, kidney sparing surgery, and living kidney donation, having done over 2,000 cases including minimally invasive partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, donor nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, cryotherapy and adrenalectomy. He directs the laparoscopic donor nephrectomy program in conjunction with the Rogosin Institute of Transplantation, and performs approximately 150 of these procedures a year.
Dr. Del Pizzo is an internationally recognized expert, speaker and author in the laparoscopic and robotic treatment of kidney tumors, as well as in minimally invasive living kidney donation. He currently serves on the faculty of the AUA Laparoscopy Course, where he instructs other urologists in learning laparoscopic surgery. In addition, he travels extensively around the world teaching other surgeons the techniques of laparoscopic and robotic kidney surgery.
Dr. Del Pizzo's clinical expertise also includes the minimally invasive treatment of kidney stone disease. He has experience using both laser therapy and sound wave therapy to remove kidney stones without the need for surgical incisions.
He is the recipient of numerous awards, including an Outstanding Achievement Award from The Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. He is consistently named as one of The Best Doctors in America as well as a Top Doctor in the New York Metro Area. He works closely with surgical instrument companies and is actively involved in the development of new therapies for minimally invasive urologic surgery. He has authored many book chapters and published numerous manuscripts on topics related to his field of expertise
Dr. Del Pizzo is currently licensed to practice medicine in the states of New York and Maryland.
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Testimonials
“Dr. Del Pizzo is very professional and extremely easy to talk to. He even called me back to explain my lab results. I am very lucky to have him as my Urologist. I have recommended him to my friends and family.” - Joe G. via Healthgrades on May 1,2020
"I cannot say enough wonderful things about Dr. Del Pizzo and his entire staff. He is a warm, compassionate and charismatic individual and an amazing doctor. He explained everything in detail, answered all of my questions and completely put me at ease. He was quick to communicate my test results and ultimately resolved a chronic issue I have been dealing with for years. My experience with Dr. Del Pizzo was fortuitous to say the least and I am beyond grateful for his time, care and expertise." - JGallucci on October 3, 2017 via Healthgrades
"After being diagnosed with kidney cancer , I reached out to his office and he offered to see me the same day. He was very courteous and knowledgeable, and eased my anxiety by handling the situation with the utmost professionalism. He performed the robotic surgery , cured my cancer and saved my kidney." - Anonmyous on September 22, 2017 via Vitals
"Great doctor. He was my kidney donor's ( my son) surgeon. I also saw him to remove my stent. Wonderful, knowledgeable and caring doctor." - Anonymous on August 21, 2017 via RateMDs
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Research
Honors and Awards
Honors and Awards
HONORS AND AWARDS
Best Doctors in America, 2003-4
Best Urology Video
The New York Experience of Robot-Assisted Pyeloplasty.
13th International Congress of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, SLS Annual Meeting, New York, New York 2004.
Honorable Mention Best Scientific Paper
Laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy: Donor tolerance and renal allograft outcomes stratified by age.
13th International Congress of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, SLS Annual Meeting, New York, New York 2004.
First place Best Urology Paper
Minimizing the incidence of vascular complications during right sided laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy
12th International Congress and Endo Expo, SLS Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada. 2003
U.S. Surgical Laparoscopy Scholar, 2000
Pfizer Scholar in Urology, 2000
The Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons Resident Achievement Award, 2000
Travel grant Resident Essay Contest
Loss of cell cycle regulators p27Kip1 and cyclin E in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder correlates with tumor grade and patient survival
3rd Annual SBUR Meeting, Paris, France. 1999
First place - Resident Essay Contest
Loss of cell cycle regulators p27Kip1 and cyclin E in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder correlates with tumor grade and patient survival
57th Annual Mid-Atlantic Section, AUA, Hilton Head, SC, 1999
First place Resident Essay Contest
Helical CT arteriography for evaluation of living renal donors undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy
56th Annual Mid-Atlantic Section, AUA, West Palm Beach, Florida, 1998
Travel grant Resident Essay Contest
Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: The first 200 cases
56th Annual Mid-Atlantic Section, AUA, West Palm Beach, Florida, 1998
Third place Resident Essay Contest
Treatment of radiation induced hemorrhagic cystitis with hyperbaric oxygen
1997 Mid-Atlantic Section, AUA, Hot Springs, Virginia, 1997
Outstanding Achievement in Research
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1994
Learn more
Credentials
Board Certifications
- American Board of Urology
Clinical and Academic Positions
- Attending Urologist - NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
- Professor of Urology - Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
- Professor of Urology in Surgery - Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
- E. Darracott Vaughan Jr., Professor of Urology - Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University
Education and Training
- M.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, 1994
Insurance
Insurance Plans Accepted
The following represents most of the managed care plans accepted by this doctor. If your insurance carrier does not appear here please contact the doctor’s office as they may have individual contracts not included on this site.
* indicates this doctor is no longer accepting new patients with this insurance plan.
- AETNA - HMO
- AETNA - Medicare
- AETNA - PPO
- Aetna Weill Cornell Employee Managed Care Plan
- Aetna Weill Cornell Employee PPO Plan
- Aetna-NYP - EPO/POS
- CIGNA
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - PPO
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - Mediblue (Senior)
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - EPO
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - HMO
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield - Blue Access
- Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield HealthPlus - CHP
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Rockefeller University - Trustmark
- United Healthcare
- United Healthcare - Medicare
- WorldWide Medical
Locations and Appointments
News and Media
News
External Relationships
External Relationships
Relationships and collaborations with for-profit and not-for profit organizations are of vital importance to our faculty because these exchanges of scientific information foster innovation. As experts in their fields, WCM physicians and scientists are sought after by many organizations to consult and educate. WCM and its faculty make this information available to the public, thus creating a transparent environment.
No External Relationships Reported