Our da Vinci Physicians
The most experienced robotic surgeons in the region are at St. Joseph's/Candler. We have more than a dozen surgeons trained on the da Vinci Surgical System in a variety of specialties. These include:
- Dr. Sarah Gill, gynecological oncology
- Dr. Neil Odom, gynecological surgery
- Dr. Alan Smith, gynecological surgery
- Dr. Marc Bailey, thoracic surgery
- Dr. Joseph T. Stubbs, urogynecology surgery
- Dr. Buffi Boyd, urological surgery
- Dr. David Cheng, urological surgery
- Dr. Michael Cox, urological surgery
- Dr. Mark Blankenship, general surgery
- Dr. Anthony Foley, general surgery
- Dr. Ravindra George, general surgery
- Dr. Jeffrey Mandel, general surgery
- Dr. Emma Walker, general surgery
Learn more about each one below.
Gynecological Oncology
Sarah Gill, MD
Dr. Sarah Gill received her medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, Tenn. She did her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina, and her fellowship
training in gynecologic oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is licensed to practice in Georgia and South Carolina.
Dr. Gill is trained in the use of both the da Vinci Xi and Si Surgical Systems in performing pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions of the reproductive tract. Dr. Gill works at the St. Joseph's/Candler Gynecologic Oncology & Surgical Specialists. For more information please visit our website or call 912-819-5771.
Gynecological Surgery
L. Neil Odom, MD
Dr. Odom graduated from the Medical College of Georgia and completed his obstetrics and gynecology residency and internship at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. Odom is trained on the da Vinci
Si system and currently performs hysterectomies.
He holds certification from the American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He can be reached at SouthCoast Health, 912-355-4408 or www.SouthCoast-Health.com.
Alan E. Smith, MD
Dr. Smith graduated from the Mercer University School of Medicine in 1991, then completed his OB/GYN residency training at Memorial Medical Center in Savannah. He has been in private practice with Savannah OB/GYN since 1995 and is certified
by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Smith trained on the da Vinci Si Surgical System in the spring and summer of 2011. He is currently performing hysterectomies, surgery for endometriosis, pelvic adhesions
and pelvic pain with the da Vinci Si Surgical System, as well as removing fibroid tumors.
He may be reached at 912-355-8136, or visit www.savannahobgyn.com.
General Surgery (Gallbladder, Colon and Hernia)
Mark Blankenship, MD
Dr. Blankenship received his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia. He completed his General Surgery residency at Memorial Health University . He completed a fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center
in Houston Texas.
He is board certified in General Surgery and is also board certified in the subspecialty of Colon and Rectal Surgery.
Dr. Blankenship is trained in the da Vinci Xi and Si systems and performs minimally invasive
procedures for malignant and benign disease. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. He may be contacted at Metro Surgical PC, 912- 826-4057
Anthony M. Foley, MD
Dr. Foley graduated from the Albany Medical College in New York and completed his residency at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Ft. Gordon Ga. He is Board Certified in General Surgery and is the former Chief of Surgery at Ft. Stewart.
Dr. Foley is da Vinci Xi and Si trained and currently works to help train new da Vinci surgeons. He performs single-site gallbladder surgery, hernia repairs, colon resections and is beginning stomach and anti-reflux surgery.
He
is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He can be reached at Metro Surgical PC, 912-826-4057.
Ravindra George, MD
Dr. George graduated from the Christian Medical College and Stony Brook University Hospital in New York.
He is a general surgeon with varied interests including hiatal hernia surgery, inguinal and abdominal hernia surgery, colon resection, gallbladder surgery and enoscopy. Dr. George is trained on both the da Vinci Xi and Si systems.
Dr. George can be reached at Metro Surgical PC, 912-826-4057.
Jeffrey S. Mandel, MD
Dr. Mandel graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and completed his surgical residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed
a fellowship of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery at Columbia-Presbyterian College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Dr. Mandel is trained on the da Vinci Xi and Si systems and currently performs inguinal hernia repair and colectomies.
He holds certification from the American Board of Surgery. He can be reached at SouthCoast Health, 912-354-6303 or www.SouthCoast-Health.com.
Emma S. Walker, DO
Dr. Walker earned her undergraduate degree at Auburn University and then went on to Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia
to get her graduate level certificate in medical science. She then attended the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for a Masters of Biomedical Science degree. Dr. Walker received her medical
degree at the same school's Osteopathic Medical School and fulfilled her General Surgery residency at Inspira Health Network at the Inspira Medical Center Vineland in Vineland, New Jersey.
Dr. Walker is trained on the da Vinci Xi and Si systems. She is board certified by the American Board of Osteopathic Board of Surgery. She can be reached at SouthCoast Health, 912-354-6303 or www.SouthCoast-Health.com.
Thoracic Surgery
Marc Bailey, MD
Dr. Bailey graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and performed his general surgery internship and residency at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville, NC. He did his cardiothoracic surgery
fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles.
He is trained on both da Vinci Xi and Si systems. He has a special interest in minimally-invasive diagnosis and treatmet in thoracic oncology surgery.
Dr. Bailey is board certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. For more information please visit the SJ/C Physician Network - Cardiothoracic Surgery practice page or call 912-819-0500.
Urogynecology Surgery
Joseph T. Stubbs III, MD
Dr. Stubbs received his medical degree from the Medical College of
Georgia and completed his OB/GYN residency at Memorial Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia in 1997. He received his fellowship training at Emory University in Atlanta. The first was Pelvic Surgery Fellowship and the second was the Urogynecology/Pelvic
Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship.
Dr. Stubbs is the only double fellowship-trained, board-certified Urogynecologist in the region.
Dr. Stubbs is trained in the use of the da Vinci Xi and Si Surgical Systems in performing hysterectomies and various urogynecological procedures for the correction of pelvic organ prolapse. For more information on Dr. Stubbs, please visit www.urogynsavannah.com or call 912-303-0891.
Urological surgery
Buffi G. Boyd, MD
Dr. Boyd received her medical degree from the Medical College of
Georgia in Augusta. It was also at the Medical College that Dr. Boyd completed her General Surgery Internship and her Urology Residency.
Dr. Boyd began her private practice in Savannah in 2004 and has been Board Certified in Urology since 2006.
Dr. Boyd is trained in the use of the da Vinci Si Surgical System in performing prostatectomy. For more information on Dr. Boyd, please visit www.urologysavannah.com or call 912-790-4000.
David L. Cheng, MD
Dr. Cheng received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College, New York, New York. His internship
and residency in General Surgery and Urology were performed at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Dr. Cheng has been Board Certified in Urology since 1997.
Dr. Cheng is trained in the use of the da Vinci Si Surgical System in performing prostatectomy. For more information on Dr. Cheng, please visit www.urologysavannah.com or call 912-790-4000.
Michael J. Cox, MD
Dr. Cox received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa. His internship and residency was performed at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Cox is trained in the use of the da Vinci Si Surgical System in performing prostatectomy. For more information on Dr. Cox, please visit www.urologysavannah.com or call 912-790-4000.
Dr. Cox moved to Savannah in 2010.