The Department of Surgery

Aldo Fafaj, MD

Assistant Professor
Division of General Surgery

Clinical Focus
Abdominal Core Health, Abdominal Wall Reconstruction, Hernia, Minimally Invasive Surgery

Education

Medical School
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, 2016

Residency
Cleveland Clinic Foundation, General Surgery, 2023

Fellowship
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Abdominal Wall Reconstruction, 2024

Certifications
Diplomate American Board of Surgery, 2023

Professional Associations
Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons
American College of Surgeons
American Hernia Society
Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society

Current Publications

Budney S, Kleppe K, Mancini M, Mancini G, Phillips M, McKnight C, Griepentrog J, Reinhorn M, Fafaj A, Blake KE.
Chronic groin pain after Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair: Partially absorbable light-weight mesh versus conventional light-weight versus heavy-weight mesh. Hernia. 2025 Sep 17;29(1):275. doi: 10.1007/s10029-025-03469-7.

Remulla D, Carvalho A, Birrell AM, Fafaj A, Maskal SM, Woo KP, Bennett WC, Ellis RC, Slatnick BL, Tu C, Prabhu AS, Krpata DM, Petro CC, Beffa LR, Miller BT, Warren JA, Carbonell AM, Poulose BK, Rosen MJ.
Mesh-related outcomes of biologic versus synthetic mesh for single-stage repair of contaminated ventral hernias: A five to ten year analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Ann Surg. 2025 Aug 12. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006906. Online ahead of print.

Remulla D, Fafaj A, Zheng X, Woo KP, Bennett WC, Carvalho A, Slatnick BL, Lima DL, Miles KS, Miller BT, Krpata DM, Petro CC, Prabhu AS, Rosen MJ, Beffa LR.
Comparing robotic to open retromuscular ventral hernia repair: A multi-center propensity-matched analysis. Surg Endosc. 2025 Jul 10. doi: 10.1007/s00464-025-11922-y. Online ahead of print.

Budney S, Middleton E, Kleppe K, Mancini M, Mancini G, Phillips M, McKnight C, Griepentrog J, Fafaj A, Blake KE.
Outcomes of quadratus lumborum blocks for pain control after open abdominal wall reconstruction: A single institution retrospective analysis. Hernia. 2025 Mar 12;29(1):118. doi: 10.1007/s10029-025-03296-w.

Remulla D, Maskal SM, Ellis RC, Woo KP, Bennet WC, Fafaj A, Navarrete S, Krpata DM, Miller BT, Petro CC, Prabhu AS, Rosen MJ, Beffa LR..
Patient reported outcomes and decision regret scores in redo-paraesophageal hernia repair. Surg Endosc. 2024 Dec 2. doi: 10.1007/s00464-024-11415-4. Online ahead of print.

Current Presentations

H White, F Aldo, K Blake. Comparing rates of chronic groin pain after inguinal hernia repair in minimally invasive vs open preperitoneal vs open onlay (Lichtenstein) technique. Presented at American Hernia Society; 2025 Sept - 4; Nashville, TN.

Khomutova A, Budney S, Phillips M, Mancini G, Mancini M, Kleppe K, Fafaj A, Blake KE. Comparing quadratus lumborum and transversus abdominus plane blocks for pain control after open ventral hernia repair. Presented at American Hernia Society; 2025 Sept - 4; Nashville, TN.