SUMMARY
John A. Occhino, M.D., is a clinician-scientist in gynecologic surgery with specialty training in urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery. Dr. Occhino's research focuses on improving surgical outcomes and quality of care provided to patients with pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence and urogenital fistula.
As program director of the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Mayo Clinic, he has mentored trainees and has ongoing research projects focusing on urinary microbiome, robotic surgery, rectovaginal fistula and vaginal hysterectomy.
Focus areas
- Urinary, vaginal and bowel microbiome research. Dr. Occhino studies how microorganisms present in each of these areas affect surgical risks and outcomes.
- Robotic surgery. The ergonomics of robotic surgery and risks of musculoskeletal disorders in surgeons are areas of interest to Dr. Occhino.
- Rectovaginal fistula. In collaboration with the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Dr. Occhino aims to improve the success of surgical intervention for the treatment of new and recurrent fistula.
- Vaginal hysterectomy. This type of hysterectomy has the fewest complications and superior outcomes when compared with other approaches. An algorithm was designed by Dr. Occhino to identify the optimal route for hysterectomy to improve outcomes while reducing health care costs.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Occhino anticipates that through his team's research, tools will become available to accurately and efficiently determine which patients are at highest risk of surgical complications, identify intrinsic risk factors for these complications, and improve health care quality while decreasing costs.
Professional highlights
- Program director, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, 2015-present
- Recipient, Axel Ingleman-Sundberg Award given to highest scoring research paper at the annual scientific meeting, International Urogynecological Association, 2014, 2016