Dr. Lael Elizabeth Forbes, MD, FACF, FAMBS

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Get to know General Surgeon Dr. Lael Elizabeth Forbes, who serves patients in New York. 

Dr. Forbes is a fellowship-trained general surgeon, advanced robotic and laparoscopic surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and medical weight management specialist. She works alongside Dr. Daniel Rosen at New York Hernia Center.

The doctor-duo provides patients throughout Brooklyn, the Upper East Side, and the surrounding Metro area of New York City, as well as in Secaucus, New Jersey & Darien, Connecticut with the highest quality hernia care and surgical options available. They have the skills, experience, and state-of-the-art equipment necessary to treat all types of hernias, including inguinal hernias, sports hernias, hiatal hernias, umbilical/belly button hernias, and more. 

A leading expert in obesity medicine for both adolescents and adults, Dr. Forbes has performed over 1,500 laparoscopic weight loss procedures, including adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and revisional bariatric operations. She offers the latest advances in non-surgical procedures and utilizes FDA-approved medications to promote sustained weight loss.

Creating individualized treatment plans and utilizing minimally invasive procedures whenever possible, she is well-versed in the latest robotic techniques, including the Da Vinci surgical platform. She is also available to help with simple procedures such as abscess drainage, skin excisions, and removal of soft tissue masses.

At the start of her academic career, Dr. Forbes graduated with her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1994. She completed her residency in general surgery at St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital Center, and her fellowship in advanced laparoscopic surgery at the world-renowned European Institute of Telesurgery in Strasbourg, France. 

Following her training, she was recruited to University at Buffalo where she co-founded and directed the UB Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence. Thereafter, she was recruited to the University of Rochester in 2009, where she was awarded the position of Associate Professor of Surgery.

During her tenure at the University of Rochester, Dr. Forbes maintained a high volume clinical practice as a member of the Laparoscopic Bariatric and General Surgery Division in addition to conducting research and teaching medical students, surgical residents, and fellows at the University.

As a testament to her success, she is board-certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery (ABS). The ABS is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training, and knowledge. 

Professionally, Dr. Forbes is affiliated with Hudson Regional Hospital, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York Community Hospital, Northern Westchester Hospital, and The Brooklyn Hospital.

Holding fellowship status, she is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and a Fellow of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (FASMBS). She is also a member of many medical societies, including the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and the Association for Academic Surgery. 

General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland. A general surgeon performs a wide range of abdominal surgeries for many forms of intestinal and abdominal wall neoplasms, gallbladder disease, gastric and pancreatic disease. They follow the patient through critical care and surgical recovery all the way to outpatient care. 

In addition to authoring book chapters, Dr. Forbes has published research articles in prestigious journals. She has both lectured and presented her research at national conferences.

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