Stefan Holubar, MD
Primary Location
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
- Appointment:
- 216.444.7000
- Desk:
- 216.446.8578
- Fax:
- 216.445.8627
Treatment & Services
- Abdominal Surgery
- Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery
- Anorectal Fistula Treatment
- Anorectal Surgery
- Anoscopy
- Cancer Center
- Clinical Trials
- Colectomy
- Colon Resection Surgery
- Colon Surgery
- Colorectal Cancer Prevention
- Colorectal Cancer Research
- Colorectal Cancer Screening Strategies
- Colorectal Cancer Treatment
- Colorectal Surgery
- Colostomy
- Consultation for Complicated Colon and Rectal Disease
- Fecal Diversion
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
- Hemorrhoidectomy
- Ileoanal Pouch
- Ileoscopy
- Ileostomy
- Intestinal Stomas
- J-Pouch Surgery
- Laparoscopic Colectomy
- Laparoscopic Colon Resection
- Laparoscopic Colon Surgery
- Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery
- Laparoscopic Fecal Diversion
- Laparoscopic Ileocolectomy
- Laparoscopic J-pouch Surgery
- Laparoscopic Proctosigmoidectomy
- Laparoscopic Surgery
- Laparoscopic Surgery for Digestive Diseases
- Laparoscopy
- Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+) Health
- Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery
- Mucosal Ulcerative Colitis Medical Management
- Pelvic Pouch Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis
- Pouch Center
- Pouch Revision
- Pouchoscopy
- Proctectomy
- Rectal Cancer Surgery
- Rectal Surgery
- Redo Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis (IPAA)
- Re-Do Rectal Surgery
- Reoperation Surgery
- Reoperative Abdominal Surgery
- Reoperative Pelvic Surgery
- Resection of Rectal Diseases
- Rubber Band Ligation Of Hemorrhoids
- Second Opinion
- Sphincter Sparing Surgery
- Stoma Surgery
- Strictureplasty
- Surgery for Carcinoma of the Colon
- Surgery for Crohn's Disease
- Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis
- Total Abdominal Colectomy
- Treatment for Anal Fissure
- Treatment for Anal Fistula
- Ulcerative Colitis Medical Management
Specialty in Diseases & Conditions
- Abdominal Abscess
- Adenomas
- Adenomatous Polyps
- Anal Abscesses
- Anal Cancer
- Anal Fissures
- Anal Fistula
- Anal Itching
- Anal Pain
- Anorectal Disease
- Anorectal Fistula
- Benign Anorectal Disease
- Cancer
- Cancer of the Anus
- Carcinoma of the Colon
- Carcinoma of the Large Bowel
- Carcinoma of the Small Bowel
- Colon Cancer
- Colon Diseases
- Colon Polyps
- Colonic Neoplasia
- Colorectal Cancer
- Colovaginal Fistula
- Colovesical Fistula
- Complications of Intestinal Pouch
- Crohn's Disease
- Diverticulitis
- Diverticulosis
- Hemorrhoids
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Intestinal Fistula
- Intestinal Ischemic Syndrome
- Large Bowel Cancer
- Large Intestine Cancer
- Rectal Cancer
- Small Bowel Cancer
- Small Intestine Cancer
- Stoma Related Problems
- Twisted Pouch Syndrome
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Volvulus
Insurance
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View All PlansAbout Stefan Holubar, MD
Stefan David Holubar, MD, MS, FACS, FASCRS is a member of the of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Section and is the Director of Research for the Department of Colon & Rectal Surgery at the Digestive Disease & Surgery Institute. He is also the National Surgical Quality Improvement Surgeon Champion for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. His appointment as a Professor of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine is pending.
Background: Dr. Stefan Holubar was born and raised on Long Island. Stefan is a first generation American as his mother immigrated to New York from Stockholm Sweden, and his father family was of Ukrainian descent; Stefan has working knowledge of Swedish and German languages. Stefan’s wife is also a first generation (German)-American and is fluent in French. During medical school Stefan overcame stage 3 colon cancer related to long-standing ulcerative colitis treated with a modified 2-stage IPAA (J-pouch).
Specialty/Clinical Interests: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, ileoanal pouches including primary pouches, pouch salvage (pouch revision/redo pouch), complex/redo/re-operative colorectal surgery, advanced laparoscopy, robotics, and 2nd opinions including virtually.
Number of Procedures Performed: In addition to seeing hundreds of patients in clinic and virtually, each year, Dr. Holubar performs >250 major colorectal operations annually, most commonly for IBD.
Education and Training: Dr. Holubar received his Medical Degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington VT in 2002. After medical school, he completed his residency at North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, where he served as Chief Resident in 2007. He continued his clinical training with a clinical fellowship in Colon & Rectal Surgery from Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN where he also completed a 2-year special fellowship during which he earned a Master of Science degree in Clinical & Translational Science, with a focus on Biostatistics and Epidemiology from Mayo Clinic in 2010. During these three years, he published over 30 peer reviewed manuscripts and dozens of national scientific presentations. Throughout his academic training, Dr. Holubar was honored for academic excellence has received several teaching awards. After Mayo, he joined Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and was eventually appointed Chief of the Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery.
Research, Publications and Speaking:
Presently within the Department of Colon & Rectal Surgery he serves as the IBD Surgery Section Chief, the Director of Research, and as the NSQIP Surgeon Champion for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and developed the database structure and oversees the Digestive Diseases Surgery Institute Quality Collaborative (DDSI-QC) for Colorectal Surgery across the Cleveland Clinics. On a national level, Dr. Holubar is actively engaged in helping lead the NSQIP IBD Collaborative, serves as Vice-Chair for the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgery (ASCRS) IBD Committee, Co-Chair for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Professional Education Committee, and is on the Program Committee for the annual scientific meetings for ASCRS, Digestive Diseases Week (DDW), the Crohn’s & Colitis Congress (CCC), and is a regular speak at Advanced in IBD. He also is an active contributing member of the European Crohn’s & Colitis Organization (ECCO). He has lectured nationally and internationally on various IBD topics related to his specialty interests.
He has served as a reviewer for multiple journals, including JAMA Surgery, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (Editorial Board member), Journal of Surgical Research, IBD 360, and many others. To date, Dr. Holubar has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles, more of which are on IBD, more than a dozen book chapters, & 1 book (coeditor).
His main clinical and research focus is IBD, with a special interest in all any Med-Surg pouch (IPAA) topics/issues, complex Crohn’s & Colitis, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in IBD and recently received a grant from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation to examine the role of aspirin in VTE prophylaxis. Finally, Dr. Holubar is the PI for the newly funded Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Surgical Cohort and Collaborative, IBD-SIRCQ (Surgical Innovation, Research, & Quality Collaborative).
About Dr. Holubar: “I would describe myself as an honest, flexible and empathic physician-scientist whose principal desire is to relieve human suffering and is why I always am striving to achieve mastery of colorectal surgical techniques. Similarly, my intellectual curiosity, which stems from a childhood appreciation of science-fiction when I was ill from colitis, drives both my approach to clinical decision-making, and desire to advance the state of the art of health care for our patients via perpetual clinical research. It’s an honor to serve my fellow patients and humanity in this manner, and to serve as a role-model for the next generation of healthcare providers.”
Leisure time activities: Enjoys international travel, downhill skiing, boating, surfing, and – all with his wife and three children.
Education & Professional Highlights
Appointed
2017
Education & Fellowships
Fellowship - Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Colon & Rectal Surgery
Rochester,
MN
2010
Graduate School - Mayo Clinic
Clinical & Translational Science
Rochester,
MN
2009
Residency - North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System
Colon & Rectal Surgery
New Hyde Park,
NY
2007
Medical Education - University of Vermont College of Medicine
Burlington,
VT
2002
Additional Training
- Master’s in Science Degree Program, Clinical and Translational Science; Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN; 07/2008-06/2009
Certifications
- Colon and Rectal Surgery
- General Surgery
Specialty Interests
Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Awards & Honors
- Research Awards2022 Best Advanced in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (AIBD) Clinical Abstract Award. Obi Megan et al. Venous Thromboembolism Risk in Hospitalized Tofacitinib-Exposed Patients: A Real-World Experience of 533 Patient
- 2022 Best Advanced in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (AIBD) Surgical Abstract Award. Lincango E, et al. Transanal Ileal Pouch-anal Anastomosis for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (ta-IPAA): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
- 2022 American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), Michigan Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Award. Holubar, SD et al. Biologics Before Surgery are Not Associated with Infectious Complications After Surgery for IBD
- 2022 Crohn’s & Colitis Congress Poster of Distinction Award: Holubar SD, et al. Current Venous Thromboembolism Chemoprophylaxis Practices After Surgery for IBD: Saves-IBD Trial Initial Report
- 2021 Digestive Diseases Week (DDW)/Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) Abstract of the Year Award: Choi S, et al. Is Ileoanal Pouch Excision A Destination Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Data From a Quaternary Pouch Referral Center
- 2006 Ira Teischer MD Memorial Award for Excellence in Surgical Education, North Shore-Long Island Jewish (NSLIJ) Health System
- 2006 Excellence in Medical Writing, 3rd prize, North Shore-Long Island Jewish (NSLIJ) Health System Academic Competition
Innovations & Patents
- First physician to describe twisted pouch syndrome (TPS), 2019
- First physician to describe the mesenteric excision and exclusion (MEE) procedure for ileocolic Crohn’s disease, 2020
- Created the worlds first 3D virtual J-pouch models, 2021
- Principle investigator for the 1st prospective longitudinal IBD multicenter surgical cohort in the United States, 2022
- Printed the worlds first 3D printed J-pouch models, 2023
Research & Publications
See publications for Stefan Holubar, MD.
(Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.
To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/ scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.
As of 8/7/2024, Dr. Holubar has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.
Donation of Financial Interest. Dr. Holubar has consulted for, received compensation for serving as a fiduciary from, or received royalties from the following companies but instructed them to donate all compensation to not-for-profit causes or to the Cleveland Clinic to support research and education:
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.
202 Patient Satisfaction Reviews
The Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our nationally-recognized Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.
Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cleveland Clinic.
| Overall | Star Ratings | |
|---|---|---|
| Explains | 4.7 | |
| Listens | 4.5 | |
| Courtesy, Respect & Concern | 4.8 | |
| Patient Rating of Doctor | 4.9 |
21 Patient Comments
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Reviewed on Oct 3, 2024
My service is really good from my dr. And at Cleveland Clinic!
Reviewed on Sep 26, 2024
Dr Holubar really made me feel like he truly cares for me as his patient. I am so blessed to have had him as my surgeon. This was not an easy journey. He really made me feel cared for and respected.
Reviewed on Sep 16, 2024
Dr Holubar is the best. I feel so comfortable with him and his experience with the same surgeries that I had
Reviewed on Sep 5, 2024
There's a true sense of teamwork with Dr Holobars group
Reviewed on Sep 3, 2024
Dr. Holubar listens to me and always gives the best explanations and answers all my questions! Awesome doctor!
Reviewed on Aug 26, 2024
DR. HOLUBAR WAS WONDERFUL!!! HE LISTENED TO EVERYTHING I HAD TO SAY ABOUT WHY I HAD THIS VIDEO APPOINTMENT AND ADDRESSED EACH OF MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS!!! I APPRECIATED HIS KIND AND GENTLE MANOR!!! HE WAS EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND PROFESSIONAL ALONG WITH BEING CARING AND CONSIDERATE OF MY CONCERNS!!! I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT HIM AS MY SURGEON AND WOULD RECOMMEND HIM TO OTHERS!!!
Reviewed on Aug 26, 2024
The web team didnt understand the nuances or requirements of my case, and ignored my emails with detail. However Dr Holubar and his team were able to pick up the information and make things much easier to engage with and arrange next steps
Reviewed on Aug 5, 2024
I personally want to know the why's and how's of my treatment. This is not particularly a strong point for Dr Holubar. He is definitely a very busy man and doesn't seem to like to slow down to give explanations.
Reviewed on Aug 1, 2024
Dr. Holubar and staff demonstrated genuine concern for my well being.
Reviewed on Jul 15, 2024
Dr. Holubar's skill and knowledge was reassuring
Reviewed on Jun 20, 2024
I cannot say enough about the compassion and care provided by Dr. Holubar. It is evident that he truly cares about the patient, is very thorough and communicates exceptionally well. We made a 15 hour trip to see Dr. Holubar and would drive 15 more to be treated by him.
Reviewed on May 16, 2024
Dr Holubar had a busy busy day and I am glad he did see me. His surgical skills was worth the wait.
Reviewed on Apr 18, 2024
Dr. Holubar is wonderful!
Reviewed on Jan 18, 2024
I came away feeling that both the Doctor and his Fellow were excellent. I believe that I will be in good hands with them, going forward.
Reviewed on Jan 18, 2024
I was very happy seeing how the Doctor interacted with his Fellow, his Nurse and the Stoma Nurse.
Reviewed on Jan 4, 2024
I'm feeling confident and safe with my decision and choice of providers.
Reviewed on Dec 21, 2023
Dr. Holubar is the best doctor I have ever met. He is tuned in to everything I say, and responds with great ideas and solutions.
Reviewed on Dec 21, 2023
It's taken 8 years and dozen of doctors for someone to FINALLY look at the images!
Reviewed on Dec 18, 2023
I'm not the easiest patient in the world. I largely distrust corporate medicine. Dr Holubar was very good at explaining my condition, his plans to correct it, and the procedure. The follow up care has been informative and concise.
Reviewed on Dec 7, 2023
Dr Holubar was fantastic. The emailing system is horrible where instead of starting a new conversation everytime you need to respond back to nurse is ridiculous. When getting all this scheduled, one of your staff hung up on me and was incredibly rude and disrespectful. Other than that it has been fantastic. Appreciate Dr Holubar taking the time and not just treating me like a number getting me in and out. Very throughout and appreciate It.
Reviewed on Dec 4, 2023
Dr Holubar is one of the most caring and compassionate doctors I have ever had in my life.