Lee C. Zhao, MD

Prior to becoming a physician, I attended graduate school for biomedical engineering and volunteered in the Peace Corps. Combining my interest in fixing problems and my desire to help people was a natural fit. It led me to the field of urologic reconstructive surgery—a field that focuses on restoring a person’s quality of life.

My interest in reconstructive surgery led me to a fellowship in which I gained experience in performing hundreds of reconstructive procedures for repair of urethral strictures, urinary tract fistulas, ureteral injuries, and genital deformities. I also performed surgeries to restore erectile function and urinary continence. Many of these procedures focused on helping people who had previously had unsuccessful surgeries.

Since 2013, I have been practicing at NYU Langone, specializing in reconstructive surgery for reproductive organs and the urinary system. One of the focuses of my practice is managing urethral strictures, which is a narrowing of the tube that carries urine out of the body. Appropriate evaluation and diagnosis of a urethral stricture is critical, because it can make a difference between temporary relief and a definitive, long-lasting solution.

To treat people with urethral strictures, I perform urethroplasty, a procedure used to reconstruct the urethra. I am fortunate to have the training and clinical experience to be able to perform this technically demanding surgery on a regular basis.

Another focus of my practice is urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, conditions that can result from injuries to the urinary tract. I offer a range of surgical treatments to restore urinary continence or erectile function when medications are unable to adequately address these issues.

As part of the Transgender Surgery Services team—and in collaboration with my colleagues in the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery—I perform gender-affirming surgical procedures. Among the surgeries for which we are most well-known is robotic peritoneal flap vaginoplasty. View a video that describes this procedure in detail. Please note that this video is graphic.

To perform reconstructive procedures on the prostate, bladder, kidney, and ureter, I use the newest technology in minimally invasive reconstructive surgery, including the da Vinci^® robotic system, which allows for three-dimensional, high-definition views and precise movements. I was one of the first physicians to use the da Vinci^® system to treat people with ureter injuries by grafting tissue from another part of the body. My study on the procedure won the award for Best Laparoscopic and Robotic Paper at the 2015 World Congress of Endourology Meeting.

In addition to clinical care, I have authored numerous articles on trauma, urologic reconstruction, and surgical outcomes. As a member of the Trauma and Urologic Reconstructive Network of Surgeons (TURNS), I am actively involved in studying improvements in surgical outcomes and patient safety by participating in collaborative research with other prominent reconstructive urologists.