Maija Cheung, MD, is a board certified general surgeon who completed a fellowship in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery. She performs the full range of weight-related surgeries, in addition to gastroesophageal reflux, hernia, and foregut surgeries. She often uses a robotic or laparoscopic surgery approach.
Dr. Cheung decided to pursue minimally invasive surgery partly because she was interested in advanced training in the latest techniques. “I have focused on robotic training as well as other technologies,” she says. “I wanted to be an expert in this field, because I saw the utility of these cutting-edge techniques and their impact on patient care—people return to work faster, have shorter hospital stays, and less pain after surgery.”
She also appreciates the opportunity to get to know her patients and help them make difficult decisions. She cares for her patients both before and after their surgeries, some for months like her bariatric patients. “It’s rewarding to meet them and forge a connection,” she says.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Cheung was the first global surgery fellow at Yale. She has focused her research in such areas as capacity-building and educational projects in pediatric surgery, trauma, and general emergency surgery mainly in Uganda. Since 2017, she has been an international advisory board member for Kids Operating Room (KidsOR), a philanthropic organization, helping to steer clinical development opportunities and data collection policies in low- and middle-income countries. She currently serves as the organization’s Global Lead for Surgery.
Dr. Cheung says her international work often informs her clinical practice in the United States. “It makes you appreciate everyone on your team and their function, and the importance of collaborating with them to succeed in any environment that you’re in.” She adds that this ultimately also benefits her patients in the U.S. by informing decisions regarding resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.
