Chigozirim N Ekeke, MD

Chigozirim N. Ekeke
Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery
Medical School
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Chigozirim N Ekeke, MD
Chigozirim N. Ekeke
Clinical Assistant Professor
  • About
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Recent Publications
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  • About

    Dr. Ekeke is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Section of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Michigan. He completed his collegiate and medical school degrees at the Ohio State University. He started in General Surgery and transferred to the Integrated Thoracic Surgery program at the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC. He completed a NIH-T32 Post Doctoral Research Fellowship at the Hillman Cancer Center, UPMC, focusing on the mechanisms of treatment response in malignant pleural disease following intrapleural administration of immunotherapy agents. Dr. Ekeke’ s clinical interests include all facets of general thoracic surgery including complex chest wall, airway, esophageal and lung-based disease. He treats malignant and benign disease with advanced endoscopic, laparoscopic, and robotic surgical techniques. Dr. Ekeke prides himself in treating advanced thoracic-based disease in patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds, including elderly patients, Jehovah Witnesses, patients with disabilities, and patients with auto-immune disease.

    Qualifications

    • T32 Clinical Certificate
      University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, United States
      2019 - 2020
      Postdoctoral Research
    • Residency
      University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pittsburgh, United States
      2017 - 2018
    • Residency
      University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, General Surgery, Pittsburgh, United States
      2015 - 2017
    • MD
      The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
      2011 - 2015
    • BS
      The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
      2007 - 2011

    Center Memberships

    • Center Member
      Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

    Research Overview

    Dr. Ekeke research interests include surgical innovation and clinical research, specifically, exploring the early role of thoracic surgical involvement in lung cancer screening and implementing localized immunotherapy options for thoracic-based malignancies.

    Recent Publications

    See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Margin Positivity Is Not Associated with Extent of Lung Resection: a Retrospective Analysis
      Booth DH, Savitch SL, Chang AC, Ekeke CN, Lin J, Odell DD, Reddy RM, Lagisetty KH. Michigan Journal of Medicine, 2026 Jun 21; DOI:10.3998/mjm.9621
    • Journal Article
      A Precision-Pathway to Preservation – Mastering Left S9,10 Segmentectomy in the Era of Lung-Sparing Surgery
      Ekeke CN. Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 2026 Jun 1; 38 (2): 145 - 146. DOI:10.1053/j.semtcvs.2025.08.001
      PMID: 40850587
    • Journal Article
      Margin positivity is not associated with the extent of resection for non-small cell lung cancer.
      Booth DH, Savitch SL, Chang AC, Ekeke CN, Lin J, Odell DD, Reddy RM, Lagisetty KH. Surgery, 2026 May 22; 196: 110322 DOI:10.1016/j.surg.2026.110322
      PMID: 42269208
    • Journal Article
      Intraoperative Hemodynamic Management During Esophagectomy and Implications for Postoperative Care
      Williams JE, Savitch SL, Jacobson-Davies F, Bauer TM, Jacobs RC, Johnson PL, Lagisetty KH, Chang AC, Colquhoun D, Odell DD. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2026 Mar 1; 242 (3): 549 - 560. DOI:10.1097/XCS.0000000000001680
      PMID: 41170834
    • Journal Article
      Primary leiomyosarcoma of the thoracic outlet: case report and surgical approach
      Meldrum DE, Williams JE, Perry WR, Capizzano A, Reddy S, Beaulieu R, Ekeke CN. Current Challenges in Thoracic Surgery, 2026 Feb 28; 8: DOI:10.21037/ccts-2025-1-52
    • Journal Article
      Wearable technology leading to timely diagnosis and surgical management of spontaneous pneumothorax
      Cassidy D, Ekeke C. Journal of Digital Health, 2026 Mar 3; 1 - 5. DOI:10.55976/jdh.5202615011-5
    • Book
      Commentary: Surgical risk assessment in 2020: Is a handshake and a walking test really the best we've got?
      Chan EG. 2025 Nov 7; DOI:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.11.040
    • Presentation
      Hospital Systems interventions that are Eliminating Barriers
      Ekeke C. 2025 Nov 7;

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