The Division of Vascular Surgery is pleased to announce the recruitment of Dr. Jennifer Avise as Clinical Assistant Professor.  Dr. Avise earned her BS degree Magna Cum Laude in biology and psychology from the University of Georgia in 2005. She received her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in 2009 and completed her general surgery residency at Emory University School of Medicine in 2014.  She is board certified in general surgery.  She joined the Stanford Vascular Surgery department following a fellowship in vascular surgery at Wake Forest Medical Center in North Carolina.  Her research interests there were focused on improved outcomes through increased patient involvement in medical decision making and personalized healthcare treatment. 

Dr. Avise was recruited to the faculty with the expressed purpose of developing a new vascular practice at Stanford ValleyCare Hospital in Pleasanton. As a component of a Cardiovascular Health Service Line, the Valley Care Vascular Clinic is scheduled to open in January 2017, with plans to extend coverage to the new Emeryville Stanford Medicine Medical Office Building later in the year. In coordination with SHC-based vascular faculty, Dr. Avise will provide a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic professional services at both new East Bay locations.

Specialties: open and percutaneous treatment of peripheral vascular disease including management of claudication and limb salvage techniques, vascular trauma, dialysis access, treatment of venous disease, aortic disease including aneurysm and dissection, and management of carotid artery disease. 

We welcome Dr. Avise to the Stanford Surgery faculty and are excited to witness the vascular practice at Stanford ValleyCare Hospital in Pleasanton thrive.  

Dr. Tina Desai earned her MD (1991) from the Brown University Medical Education Program in Providence, Rhode Island. She then completed a surgical residency in General Surgery at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics, including a 2-yr research fellowship. She completed her Vascular Surgery Fellowship training at the University of Chicago Hospitals (1999). Dr. Desai has additionally completed a year-long fellowship in Medical Ethics at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago (2008). Dr. Desai has previously served on the surgical faculty at the University of Chicago as Assistant Professor of Surgery and Director of Endovascular Services until 2010, and as Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago after joining NorthShore University HealthSystem in the Division of Vascular Surgery until 2015. In July 2015, Dr. Desai joined the faculty of Stanford University Division of Vascular Surgery and maintains a primary practice at Marin General Hospital.

Dr. Desai is certified by the American Board of Surgery in both General and Vascular Surgery. 

Dr Desai has a special interest in endovascular and surgical treatment of abdominal and thoracic aortic pathology, carotid artery occlusive disease, and peripheral vascular disease. She also has an interest in visceral ischemic syndromes and thoracic outlet syndrome. Dr. Desai’s research interests include mesenteric ischemia, vena cava filters in deep vein thrombosis, medical ethics, and the development of structured clinical documentation systems. She maintains a strong interest in resident and fellow education.

Specialties: endovascular and surgical treatment of abdominal and thoracic aortic pathology, extra-cranial cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease, visceral ischemic syndromes, thoracic outlet syndrome, venous disease, and medical ethics.

Dr. Desai will be seeing patients at the Sirona Vascular Clinic at Marin General Hospital (MGH).

The address and contact information for scheduling appointments at the Sirona Vascular Center is:
1100 S. Eliseo, Suite 2A
Greenbrae, CA 94904
sironavascular@gmail.com
Tel: (415) 464-5400
Fax: (415) 464-5413
Website: http://www.sironavascular.com/    

As the Division of Vascular Surgery at Stanford University, we are delighted to have been able to recruit Dr. Manuel Garcia-Toca to join our team effective March 1^st, 2015.  Dr. Garcia-Toca comes to us from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was one of five board certified vascular surgeons in the state. In 2010, after completing his Vascular Surgery fellowship training at Northwestern University, the faculty at Brown University recruited Dr. Garcia-Toca to their Vascular Surgery team as Assistant Professor of Surgery.

During his tenure at Brown University, Dr. Garcia -Toca held several teaching and administrative roles including Director of the Surgery Clerkship in the medical school and Director of the Vascular Laboratory at the Miriam Hospital. He successfully pioneered the Vascular Surgery Quality Initiative registry at Rhode Island Hospital, and has championed the participation of Brown University in the Vascular Surgery Group of New England, which is the largest regional vascular quality initiative in the United States. Dr. Garcia-Toca has served as a local Principal Investigator for many high profile device trials, attracting complex patient referrals from across New England to Brown University. National Leaders in Vascular Surgery have recognized Dr. Garcia-Toca as a “go-to vascular surgeon” at Brown University for complex cases, including multidisciplinary approaches to thoracic aortic disease.

Dr. Garcia-Toca’s awards include; Teacher of the Year at Northwestern University and the Edelstone Bendix Award, Northwestern University for Best Clinical Research Paper. Dr. Garcia-Toca has served in leadership positions in many of the important surgical societies to include the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Society of Vascular Surgery and as Ambassador for the Vascular and Endovascular Surgical Society.

Dr. Garcia-Toca’s clinical and research interests include open and endovascular management of vascular trauma, aortic dissection, complex thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysm disease, critical limb ischemia and extracranial cerebrovascular disease.

We welcome Dr. Garcia-Toca and are very excited to witness the Vascular Surgery service thrive at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.