M. Salvador Valencia, M.D., FACS

Dr. Salvador Valencia came from Mexico as Visiting Assistant Professor of Surgery at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is also a Robotic Surgery Fellow at the Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology (CASIT), a new robotic and technology center at UCLA that will help promote clinical, educational and research use of surgical robots and digital imaging in surgery and medicine. Click here to view the robotic technology center at UCLA Medical School

Dr. Valencia received his Medical Degree from University of Baja California, in 1993. After his Internship, He did his surgical residency at the ABC Medical Center; one of the most prestigious hospitals in Mexico, from 1994-1997 and his post-graduate Advanced Laparoscopy training at the same from 1997-1998. In 1998 he was appointed as Associate Professor of the Advanced Laparoscopy Fellowship where he was trained, where he had the privilege to train surgeons from Mexico, Central and South America. The Board of Surgery of his country certifies him.

He belongs to the main surgical societies of Mexico and Latin America, but also is a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and the Society of Laparoscopic Surgeons (SLS) and is pending to join The American Association of Bariatric Surgery (ASBS) and the American College of Surgeons as well.

He has pioneered in the field of robotic surgery in his Country. He has lectured, taught, and performed Laparoscopic surgery in different cities of Mexico and in several countries. Dr. Valencia has participated in several articles and co-authored book chapters on the subject of Laparoscopic surgery in both U.S. and Canada. He developed a model to train surgeons in the so-called Needlescopic Surgery, which is the use of 2-3 mm instruments to perform "scar less" surgery. Special interests include enhancing robotic technologies into minimally invasive surgery as well as training and education of surgeons on remote locations (Telementoring). In July 2003, he was invited by Dr. Carlos Gracia to join the newly established Section of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at UCLA. View Dr. Valencia's Cirriculum Vitae.