Roger Sur, MD, urologic surgeon certified by the American Board of Urology, has been recruited to UC San Diego Medical Center to launch a comprehensive kidney stone treatment center. The first program of its kind in southern California, the center is dedicated to the medical prevention, advanced surgical treatment and research of kidney stone disease.
Roger Sur, MD, specializes in the treatment of kidney stones at UCSD Medical Center
“Every minute that goes by, someone in the United States suffers from an acute kidney stone attack,” said Sur, assistant professor of surgery in the UCSD School of Medicine. “Fortunately, more than 95 percent of kidney stones can be prevented. This new center is dedicated to not only treating stones with minimally-invasive techniques but to preventing future stones. Distinguishing our program, our innovative approach is to remove the stones and determine why they form, potentially eliminating the need for future surgery.”
A disorder of the urinary tract, kidney stones are comprised of small, hard deposits of mineral and acid salts that form on the inner surface of the kidneys. The stones are difficult for the body to eliminate causing excruciating pain in the back that may radiate to the groin. The pain results in close to three million health care visits every year. Once a person is diagnosed with kidney stones, there is a 50 percent chance of recurrence over the next five to ten years.
“With the arrival of Dr. Sur, the Urology division at UC San Diego Medical Center continues to expand its clinical expertise and research prowess in the area of kidney disease,” said Christopher Kane, MD, chief of the division of urology at UC San Diego Medical Center. “Patients in California now have a destination to receive expert stone treatment, metabolic evaluation and recommendations for prevention of future stones.”
Sur’s extensive experience includes fellowship training at Duke University Medical Center where he dedicated two years to learning surgical management and prevention of routine and complex kidney stones. He also held positions including Uro-Oncology Fellowship Program Director for the National Cancer Institute and National Naval Medical Center. He was the National Capital Region Urology Robotics Director for President’s Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and Senior Medical Officer of Naval Warship (USS RUSHMORE LSD 47.)
Sur has an undergraduate degree from the honors program in Chemistry from the University of Michigan. He received his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. Sur’s general surgery training and urology residency were both completed at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, where he currently serves as a reservist after 15 years active duty as a naval physician in numerous overseas deployments.
Sur has published numerous manuscripts and book chapters and serves as the course director for teaching Biostatistics at the annual American Urological Meeting. He teaches Evidence-based Medicine while serving on the International Evidence Based Urology (EBU) Working Group.
He is a member of the American Urological Association, Society of Government Service Urologists, American College of Surgeons and the Endourological Society. Sur’s clinical research will explore the genetic aspects of kidney disease and the affect of obesity and diet on kidney stones.
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Media Contact: Jackie Carr, 619-543-6163, jcarr@ucsd.edu