Vattikuti Foundation Network Surgeon, Dr. James Peabody, Awarded NARUS 2024 Menon Medal
5 January 2024
The Vattikuti Foundation is proud of the work accomplished by its network surgeons. Every year, the North American Robotic Urology Symposium (NARUS) awards the coveted Menon Medal to a surgeon who has made significant contributions to the area of robotic surgery in a variety of applications ranging from prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer to kidney donation.
The award is named after Dr. Mani Menon, a Vattikuti Foundation Network surgeon, whose pioneering work and ideas lay the groundwork for robotic surgery initially in Urology, and now virtually all surgical specialties around the world. Over twenty years ago, Dr. Menon submitted a proposal to the Vattikuti Foundation to establish an institute to develop techniques for minimally invasive surgery for prostate cancer. This proposal was accepted by the Foundation, and the Vattikuti Urology Institute (VUI) was initiated in 2001 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.
Dr. James Peabody, another Vattikuti Foundation Network surgeon, worked side by side with Dr. Menon from the inception of VUI to improve surgical outcomes on prostate cancer patients using the new surgical robot. The robot was designed for cardiac surgery, but the team at VUI pioneered its use in Urology, first for prostate cancer, and then expanding into kidney and bladder cancer patients.
In 2024, NARUS selected Dr. Peabody for its Menon Medal as he embodies the ingenuity, leadership, and revolutionary achievements in robotic surgery. As the Menon Medal laureate, Dr. Peabody will serve as the Keynote Speaker at the annual North American Robotic Urology Symposium 2024.
Dr. Peabody has been a long-time friend of the Vattikuti Foundation, generously dedicating his time to mentoring aspiring robotic surgeons around the world. We congratulate him for this well-deserved award.
