Inabnet Named Chair of UK Department of Surgery

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 17, 2019) — After an extensive and national search, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine has named Dr. William Barlow (Barry) Inabnet III, chair of the Department of Surgery, effective Sept. 16.

As chair, Dr. Inabnet will promote the educational, clinical and research activities of the department; collaborate across the college and university to continue interdisciplinary research, instructional programs, and institutional grants and mentor and empower faculty and learners for success.

“It is a tremendous honor to accept this position and to be given responsibility of managing this department,” Inabnet said. “I look forward to serving the Commonwealth by promoting excellent patient care while training future surgeons and helping continue the advancement of medicine here in Kentucky.”

He joins the college from the Mount Sinai Health System where he was the Eugene W. Friedman, MD, Professor of Surgery and the surgical director of the Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He also served as the system chief of endocrine surgery for the eight-hospital Mount Sinai Health System, as well as the founder and co-director of the Mount Sinai Adrenal Center. From 2014-18, Inabnet served as chair of surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and oversaw the integration of that facility into the Mount Sinai Health System.

“Dr. Inabnet brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the UK College of Medicine, and we are very excited to have him lead our department of surgery,” said Dr. Robert S. DiPaola, dean of the UK College of Medicine. “He will be a great advocate for our faculty and learners and will be committed to the missions of the college.”

Inabnet completed his undergraduate and medical training at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, followed by residency training at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center and a fellowship in Surgical Endocrinology at Cochin Hospital in Paris, France.

An international authority in the field of minimally invasive endocrine surgery, Inabnet is a pioneer of new techniques in minimal access endocrine neck surgery, as well as adrenal and pancreatic surgery. For nearly 20 years, he and his growing team have been innovators of remote access “scarless” thyroid surgery and have introduced numerous new techniques to the United States. In 1998, he performed the first endoscopic thyroid resection in the U.S. at Mount Sinai and 18 years later was one of the first surgeons in the U.S. to excise the thyroid gland via a transoral route (leaving no scar on the neck). 

In addition to endocrine surgery, Inabnet is a leader in the field of minimally invasive metabolic surgery with an interest in obesity, disorders of the endocrine system and beta cell metabolism. Under his leadership the Mount Sinai Weight Loss Surgery Program has become one of the premier programs in the world. He and his team have participated in national and international clinical trials evaluating the role of gastrointestinal surgery in treating diabetes. 

Inabnet has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, along with six textbooks. He lectures throughout the world and has been inducted into the Southern Surgical Association, the American Surgical Association, the French National Academy of Surgery and the French Academy of Medicine, becoming only the fourth U.S. surgeon to achieve this honor. Additionally, he holds multiple leadership positions in the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, American Association of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the American College of Surgeons and the American Thyroid Association.

He is also well-recognized for his leadership and instruction. He was ranked a Castle Connolly Top Doctor New York Metro Area for 14 consecutive years and was awarded the Master Clinician Award by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Institute for Medical Education. He is the editor-in-chief of VideoEndocrinology, an online video journal of the American Thyroid Association.

Inabnet takes over the position previously held by Dr. Jay Zwishenberger, who oversaw unprecedented growth of the department in his 12 years of service.