Nicholas Panetta, MD

Nicholas J. Panetta, MD, FACS is Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of South Florida. He is an Associate Professor in plastic surgery and surgical oncology, and currently serves as Chief of both the Department of Plastic Surgery and the Plastic Surgery Institute at Tampa General Hospital. While treating the full spectrum of complex reconstructive surgical needs related to cancer treatment, his specific clinical and research interest focuses on the treatment and study of cancer-related lymphedema. From concept to successfully treating hundreds of patients, he has, from the ground-up, developed and implemented a nationally recognized clinical program for the treatment of cancer-related lymphedema, and is Director of the Tampa General Hospital | USF Health Lymphedema Program. His work has explored the efficacy of microsurgical interventions in the prevention of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), identifying patient populations at greatest risk for BCRL, and the efficacy of an applied multidisciplinary care algorithm aimed at the treatment and prevention of cancer-related lymphedema. Most recently, Dr. Panetta’s clinical efforts have centered on the application of microsurgical robotics to improve the precision and outcomes of patients in need. Here, he aims to validate the clinical utilization of this novel technology, paving the way for broad implementation and significantly increasing patient access.

Dr. Panetta graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine, and subsequently completed his general surgery training at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He completed a plastic surgery research fellowship at Stanford University, where he served as the Hagey Fellow in Pediatric Regenerative Medicine. Following this, he completed his plastic and microvascular surgery fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He holds board certifications in general surgery and plastic surgery, and he is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Plastic Surgery, and the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery, the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Florida Society of Plastic Surgery, the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons, and the American Association of Plastic Surgeons.