Dr. Luis Ruffolo is a surgical oncologist specializing in the care of patients with complex cancers, particularly of the liver, pancreas, bile ducts, and gastrointestinal tract. He is dedicated to delivering thoughtful, high-quality care and helping patients navigate difficult diagnoses with clarity and empathy.

A Venezuelan-American surgeon-scientist, Dr. Ruffolo earned his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where he also pursued advanced research training in tumor immunology. He then completed fellowship training in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he gained extensive expertise in robotic and open surgery for cancers of the liver, pancreas, and bile ducts, including the Whipple procedure.

His clinical work focuses on treating abdominal cancers using advanced surgical techniques, including minimally invasive and robotic approaches. He works within a multidisciplinary team alongside medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other experts to ensure each patient receives comprehensive, individualized care.

Dr. Ruffolo leads a research program focused on developing new immunotherapies for pancreatic and liver cancers. He has led clinical trials that bring next-generation immunotherapy treatments to patients, expanding the options available to those facing these cancers. His laboratory studies how the body's immune system can be activated to fight cancer, advancing the search for tomorrow's therapies.

Dr. Ruffolo believes that good care starts with listening. He recognizes that a diagnosis of liver, pancreatic, or complex gastrointestinal cancer can be frightening and disorienting, and he takes time to understand each patient's goals, concerns, and priorities, using that perspective to guide treatment decisions. He focuses on being direct and honest while making sure patients feel supported, respected, and fully informed. Fluent in both English and Spanish, he welcomes patients and families to have these conversations in whichever language feels most comfortable. His goal is to help patients feel confident in their care and comfortable asking questions every step of the way.

Languages

English, Spanish

Certified Specialties

Surgery (General Surgery) - American Board of Surgery

Faculty Appointments

Assistant Professor - Department of Surgery, Oncology (SMD)

Credentials

Residency & Fellowship

Fellowship, Complex General Surgical Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 2024 - 2026

Residency, Surgery (General Surgery), Strong Memorial Hospital. 2016 - 2024

Education

MD | University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. 2016

Publications

Journal Articles

Optimizing liver transplant outcomes for colorectal liver metastases in the United States.

Chávez-Villa M, Sasaki K, Nakayama T, Byrne MM, Jimenez-Soto C, Ruffolo LI, Endo Y, Dokus MK, Bekki Y, Qadan M, Tomiyama K, Roberts JP, Pomfret E, Wall A, Hernández-Alejandro R

Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society.. 2025 October 14 Epub 10/14/2025.

Live Donor Liver Transplantation for Oncologic Indications.

Byrne MM, Chávez-Villa M, Endo Y, Jimenez-Soto C, Cybulski L, Ruffolo LI, Hernandez-Alejandro R, Tomiyama K

Transplantation.. 2025 October 1109 (10):1591-1600. Epub 06/11/2025.

Liver Transplant for Upfront Unresectable Colorectal Metastases.

Byrne MM, Baker TB, Chapman WC, Ruffolo LI, Hernandez-Alejandro R

JAMA surgery.. 2025 October 1160 (10):1159-1162. Epub 1900 01 01.

Corrigendum to 'The Rochester Protocol for living donor liver transplantation of unresectable colorectal liver metastasis: A 5-year report on selection, approval, and outcomes' [American Journal of Transplantation 25 (2025) 780-792].

Byrne MM, Chávez-Villa M, Ruffolo LI, Loria A, Endo Y, Niewiemski A, Jimenez-Soto C, Melaragno JI, Ramaraju GA, Farooq PD, Dunne RF, Pineda-Solis K, Nair A, Orloff M, Tomiyama K, Hernandez-Alejandro R

American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.. 2025 October 25 (10):2262. Epub 07/09/2025.

Neighborhood Factors: A Multivariate Analysis on the Social Determinants in Simple Appendicitis.

Dale BS, Ruffolo LI, Wakeman DS, Wilson NA

Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities.. 2025 September 2 Epub 09/02/2025.

Rethinking surrogate endpoints in metastatic colorectal cancer: counting chickens only when they hatch.

Ruffolo LI, D'Angelica M

Journal of gastrointestinal oncology.. 2025 August 3016 (4):1763-1767. Epub 08/25/2025.

Increased Hospital System Utilization After Gastrostomy in Children Is Related to Neighborhood.

Juviler P, Chacon M, Ruffolo LI, Wegman S, Martin H, Coffey B, Dale B, Erlick M, Wilson NA, Wakeman DS

The Journal of surgical research.. 2025 August 312 :68-74. Epub 06/14/2025.

The Rochester Protocol for living donor liver transplantation of unresectable colorectal liver metastasis: A 5-year report on selection, approval, and outcomes.

Byrne MM, Chávez-Villa M, Ruffolo LI, Loria A, Endo Y, Niewiemski A, Jimenez-Soto C, Melaragno JI, Gopal R, Farooq PD, Dunne RF, Pineda-Solis K, Nair A, Orloff M, Tomiyama K, Hernandez-Alejandro R

American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.. 2025 April 25 (4):780-792. Epub 09/25/2024.

Reduction of Pediatric Gastrostomy Tube Healthcare Utilization and Socioeconomic Disparities: Longitudinal Benefits of Quality Improvement.

Juviler P, Wegman S, Pulhamus M, Ruffolo LI, Erlick MR, Loria A, Chacon M, Schriefer J, Coffey B, Levatino E, , Arca MJ, Wilson NA, Wakeman DS

Journal of pediatric surgery.. 2025 January 60 (1):161964. Epub 09/24/2024.

High Area Deprivation Index is Associated With Discharge to Foster Care in Pediatric Patients With Non-accidental Trauma.

Martin K, Dadoo S, Sillari C, Abecassis S, Zhang A, Vazquez S, Shusterman S, Gabriele C, Brown M, Ruffolo LI, Wakeman D, Salik I

Journal of pediatric surgery.. 2024 October 59 (10):161595. Epub 06/11/2024.

Reply to A. Jain et al.

Chávez-Villa M, Ruffolo LI, Byrne M, Line PD, Dueland S, Tomiyama K, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.. 2024 September 1042 (26):3165-3166. Epub 07/08/2024.

Progression-Free Survival for Liver Transplant vs Alternative Therapy in Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastasis.

Byrne MM, Chávez-Villa M, Ruffolo LI, Wanis KN, Belt B, Tomiyama K, Hernandez-Alejandro R

JAMA surgery.. 2024 September 1159 (9):1089-1091. Epub 1900 01 01.

Pan-lysyl oxidase inhibition disrupts fibroinflammatory tumor stroma, rendering cholangiocarcinoma susceptible to chemotherapy.

Burchard PR, Ruffolo LI, Ullman NA, Dale BS, Dave YA, Hilty BK, Ye J, Georger M, Jewell R, Miller C, De Las Casas L, Jarolimek W, Perryman L, Byrne MM, Loria A, Marin C, Chávez Villa M, Yeh JJ, Belt BA, Linehan DC, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Hepatology communications.. 2024 August 18 (8)Epub 08/05/2024.

Smad4 restricts injury-provoked biliary proliferation and carcinogenesis.

Alexander WB, Wang W, Hill MA, O'Dell MR, Ruffolo LI, Guo B, Jackson KM, Ullman N, Friedland SC, McCall MN, Patel A, Figueroa-Guilliani N, Georger M, Belt BA, Whitney-Miller CL, Linehan DC, Murphy PJ, Hezel AF

Disease models & mechanisms.. 2024 June 117 (6)Epub 02/28/2024.

Emerging Role of Liver Transplantation for Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases.

Chávez-Villa M, Ruffolo LI, Line PD, Dueland S, Tomiyama K, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.. 2024 April 142 (10):1098-1101. Epub 02/26/2024.

The High Incidence of Occult Carcinoma in Total Hepatectomy Specimens of Patients Treated for Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases With Liver Transplant.

Chávez-Villa M, Ruffolo LI, Al-Judaibi BM, Fujiki M, Hashimoto K, Kallas J, Kwon CHD, Nair A, Orloff MS, Pineda-Solis K, Raj R, Sasaki K, Tomiyama K, Aucejo F, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Annals of surgery.. 2023 November 1278 (5):e1026-e1034. Epub 01/24/2023.

Liver transplantation for unresectable colorectal liver metastasis.

Chávez-Villa M, Ruffolo LI, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Current opinion in organ transplantation.. 2023 August 128 (4):245-253. Epub 06/19/2023.

The Current State of Liver Transplantation for Colorectal Liver Metastases in the United States: A Call for Standardized Reporting.

Sasaki K, Ruffolo LI, Kim MH, Fujiki M, Hashimoto K, Imaoka Y, Melcher ML, Aucejo FN, Tomiyama K, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Annals of surgical oncology.. 2023 May 30 (5):2769-2777. Epub 01/31/2023.

Outcomes after Child Physical Abuse and Association with Community-Level Social Determinants of Health.

Ruffolo LI, Gaba H, Dale BS, Sandler M, Vella MA, Stassen NA, Wilson NA, Wakeman DS

Journal of the American College of Surgeons.. 2022 November 1235 (5):810-818. Epub 10/17/2022.

Inferior Survival Is Associated With Socioeconomic Deprivation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Ruffolo LI, Zambrano D, Dale BS, Nimmagadda SV, Hack M, Gaba H, Belt BA, Burchard PR, LanzDuret-Hernandez JM, Dokus MK, Aponte JP, Tomiyama K, Nair A, Pineda-Solis K, Hernandez-Alejandro R

The Journal of surgical research.. 2022 November 279 :228-239. Epub 07/02/2022.

Social Determinants of Health are Associated With Postoperative Outcomes in Children With Complicated Appendicitis.

Takirambudde S, Ruffolo LI, Wakeman DS, Dale BS, Arca MJ, Wilson NA

The Journal of surgical research.. 2022 November 279 :692-701. Epub 08/05/2022.

What is the optimal prophylaxis against postoperative deep vein thrombosis in the living donor to avoid complications and enhance recovery? - A systematic review of the literature and expert panel recommendations.

Ruffolo LI, Levstik M, Boehly J, Spiro M, Raptis DA, Liu L, Hernandez-Alejandro R,

Clinical transplantation.. 2022 October 36 (10):e14688. Epub 1900 01 01.

ALPPS and the endless pursuit of hepatic resectability.

Byrne M, Ruffolo LI, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Hepatobiliary surgery and nutrition.. 2022 October 11 (5):732-734. Epub 1900 01 01.

Early postoperative ERAS compliance predicts decreased length of stay and complications following liver resection.

Burchard PR, Dave YA, Loria AP, Parikh NB, Pineda-Solis K, Ruffolo LI, Strawderman M, Schoeniger LO, Galka E, Tomiyama K, Orloff MS, Carpizo DR, Linehan DC, Hernandez-Alejandro R

HPB : the official journal of the International Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association.. 2022 September 24 (9):1425-1432. Epub 01/25/2022.

GM-CSF drives myelopoiesis, recruitment and polarisation of tumour-associated macrophages in cholangiocarcinoma and systemic blockade facilitates antitumour immunity.

Ruffolo LI, Jackson KM, Kuhlers PC, Dale BS, Figueroa Guilliani NM, Ullman NA, Burchard PR, Qin SS, Juviler PG, Keilson JM, Morrison AB, Georger M, Jewell R, Calvi LM, Nywening TM, O'Dell MR, Hezel AF, De Las Casas L, Lesinski GB, Yeh JJ, Hernandez-Alejandro R, Belt BA, Linehan DC

Gut.. 2022 July 71 (7):1386-1398. Epub 08/19/2021.

Recipient and Donor Outcomes After Living-Donor Liver Transplant for Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases.

Hernandez-Alejandro R, Ruffolo LI, Sasaki K, Tomiyama K, Orloff MS, Pineda-Solis K, Nair A, Errigo J, Dokus MK, Cattral M, McGilvray ID, Ghanekar A, Gallinger S, Selzner N, Claasen MPAW, Burkes R, Hashimoto K, Fujiki M, Quintini C, Estfan BN, Kwon CHD, Menon KVN, Aucejo F, Sapisochin G

JAMA surgery.. 2022 June 1157 (6):524-530. Epub 1900 01 01.

Glycerin Suppositories and Enemas in Premature Infants: A Meta-analysis.

Burchard PR, Lay R, Ruffolo LI, Ramazani SN, Walton JM, Livingston MH

Pediatrics.. 2022 April 1149 (4)Epub 1900 01 01.

Narcotic Free Cervical Endocrine Surgery: A Shift in Paradigm.

Ruffolo LI, Jackson KM, Juviler P, Kaur R, Chennell T, Glover DM, Linehan DC, Moalem J

Annals of surgery.. 2021 August 1274 (2):e143-e149. Epub 1900 01 01.

Refining the surgical playbook for treating colorectal cancer liver metastases.

Ruffolo LI, Hernandez-Alejandro R, Tomiyama K

Hepatobiliary surgery and nutrition.. 2021 June 10 (3):397-400. Epub 1900 01 01.

Emergency department utilization following pediatric gastrostomy tube placement is driven by a small cohort of patients.

Ruffolo LI, McGuire A, Calderon T, Wolcott K, Levatino E, Martin H, Foito T, Pulhamus M, Wakeman DS

Journal of pediatric surgery.. 2021 May 56 (5):961-965. Epub 08/13/2020.

Early Prediction of Length of Stay After Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Pineda-Solis K, Burchard PR, Ruffolo LI, Schoeniger LO, Linehan DC, Moalem J, Galka E

The Journal of surgical research.. 2021 April 260 :499-505. Epub 12/23/2020.

Estimating the effect of increasing utilization of living donor liver transplantation using observational data.

Wanis KN, Sarvet A, Ruffolo LI, Levstik MA, Tomiyama K, Al-Judaibi BM, Stensrud MJ, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation.. 2021 April 34 (4):648-656. Epub 02/26/2021.

Implementation of a gastrostomy care bundle reduces dislodgements and length of stay.

Ruffolo LI, Pulhamus M, Foito T, Levatino E, Martin H, Michels J, Schriefer J, Wolcott K, Wakeman D

Journal of pediatric surgery.. 2021 January 56 (1):30-36. Epub 10/13/2020.

Assessing resectability for colorectal liver metastases: agreeing that we disagree.

Ruffolo LI, Tomiyama K, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Hepatobiliary surgery and nutrition.. 2020 December 9 (6):797-800. Epub 1900 01 01.

Liver transplantation for colorectal liver metastases: What do we need to know?

Line PD, Ruffolo LI, Toso C, Dueland S, Nadalin S, Hernandez-Alejandro R

International journal of surgery.. 2020 October 82S :87-92. Epub 04/17/2020.

Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy (ALPPS) procedure for colorectal liver metastasis.

Hernandez-Alejandro R, Ruffolo LI, Alikhanov R, Björnsson B, Torres OJM, Serrablo A

International journal of surgery.. 2020 October 82S :103-108. Epub 04/16/2020.

Watching the Clock in Donation After Circulatory Death Liver Transplantation.

Ruffolo LI, Levstik MA, Hernandez-Alejandro R

Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society.. 2019 September 25 (9):1305-1307. Epub 1900 01 01.

Open adrenalectomy through a makuuchi incision: A single institution's experience.

Ruffolo LI, Nessen MF, Probst CP, Jackson KM, Ruan DT, Schoeniger LO, Moalem J

Surgery.. 2018 December 164 (6):1372-1376. Epub 08/25/2018.

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