Kavita Vakharia, M.D.
- Plastic Surgery
- Reconstructive Surgery
- Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery
As a plastic surgeon at City of Hope® Cancer Center Duarte, Kavita Vakharia, M.D., works closely with patients who require reconstructive surgery, creating personalized treatment plans that employ innovations in minimally invasive, advanced surgical techniques.
Dr. Vakharia earned her medical degree and completed the integrated residency program in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. She then went on to complete an orthopedic hand and microvascular fellowship at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and pursued specialty training as a Poche Fellow in Melanoma and Cutaneous Surgical Oncology at the Melanoma Institute Australia in Sydney.
A physician-scholar with more than a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles to her name, Dr. Vakharia was drawn to City of Hope’s mission to take research from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside to create breakthrough treatments. In addition to her clinical and research work, Dr. Vakharia also worked for the Medical Journalism Unit at ABC News in New York City, providing research for medical stories, and served as a medical consultant for the hit TV show Grey’s Anatomy.
Location
Duarte Cancer Center
Duarte, CA 91010
Education & Experience
Degrees
- 2011, Doctor of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Fellowship
- 2020, Melanoma and Surgical Oncology Melanoma Institute Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- 2018, Hand, Upper Extremity, and Microsurgery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Residency
- 2017, Integrated Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Professional Experience
- 2024-Present, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, California
- 2021-2024, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Penn State Health, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
- 2020-2021, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Plastic Surgery, Dermatology & Plastic Surgery Institute, Cleveland, Ohio
Publications
- Hiller A, Oxford M, Kulkarni P, Fornadley J, Lo A, Sivik J, Drabick J, Vakharia, K, Efficacy of cemiplimab as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy in the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Annals of Plastic Surgery 92(4S):p S129-S131, April 2024.
- Taylor KF, Hatch MD, Vakharia KT, Hauck RM. Minimally Invasive Cubital Tunnel Release Utilizing Lighted Retractors: A atudy of residents novel to this technique utilizing a cadaveric model. J Surg Orthop Adv. 2023 Fall;32(3):193-198. PMID: 38252608.
- Vakharia KT. Clinical diagnosis and classification: Including biopsy techniques and noninvasive imaging. A Melanoma Update. Clin Plast Surg. 2021 Oct;48(4):577-585.
- Li AT, Vakharia K, Lo SN, Varey AHR, Carlino MS, Saw RPM, Shannon KF, Howle JR, Pennington TE, Stretch JR, Nieweg OE, Spillane AJ, Long GV, Menzies AM, Scolyer RA, Thompson JF, Ch'ng S. Survival outcomes of salvage metastasectomy after failure of modern-era systemic therapy for melanoma. Ann Surg Onc. 2021 Oct;28(11):6109-6123.
- Michelotti, B, Vakharia, KT, Romanowsky, D, Hauck, RM. A prospective, randomized trial comparing open and endoscopic carpal tunnel release within the same patient. Hand. 2020 May;15(3):322-326.
- Drake V, Rizzi CJ, Greywoode JD, Vakharia KT, Vakharia KT. Midface fracture simulation and repair – a computer-based algorithm. Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction. 2019 Mar;12(1)14-19.
- D’Agostino, JP, Vakharia, KT, Bawa, S, Sljivic, S, Natoli, N. Intimidation and sexual harassment during plastic surgery training in the United States. PRS Global Open. 2019 Dec 30;7(12): e2493.
- Vakharia K; Swenson R; Fox E. Orthopedic Surgery Module. Plastic Surgery Education Network v.7 2017 Rizzi CJ, Ortlip T, Greywoode JD, Vakharia KT, Vakharia KT. A novel computer algorithm for modeling and treating mandibular fractures: A pilot study. Laryngoscope. 2017 Feb;127(2):331-336.
- Vakharia K, Vakharia K. Bell’s palsy. Facial Plastic Surg Clin North Am. 2016 Feb;24(1):1-10