UnityPoint Health – Trinity expands access to cancer services with new surgical oncologist

UnityPoint Health - Trinity has expanded access to cancer services in the area, with the addition of thoracic surgical oncologist Alejandro (Alex) Bribriesco, MD, a news release says.

Patients in the Quad Cities and eastern Iowa now have increased access to specialized thoracic cancer surgery closer to home.

Bribriesco works closely with UnityPoint Clinic pulmonologists and oncologists at Trinity Heart and Cancer Center to diagnose and treat cancers of the lungs, chest and esophagus. He performs advanced thoracic procedures including lung resections, airway reconstruction and
esophageal surgery.

Many procedures are performed using minimally invasive and robotic-assisted techniques, including the da Vinci Xi surgical system. Compared to traditional open surgery, these approaches can lead to smaller incisions, fewer complications, less pain, shorter hospital stays
and faster recovery, according to the release.

Born and raised in Bettendorf, Bribriesco returned to his home state after building his surgical career at nationally recognized institutions, including Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute and Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. He has performed hundreds of lung and chest procedures and devoted much of his career to caring for patients with lung cancer and other complex thoracic conditions.

“I’m excited to be back in my home state and closer to family,” Bribriesco said. “I’m particularly drawn to this region because lung cancer is more prevalent here, giving me the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and families affected by this disease.”

Bribriesco graduated from Bettendorf High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University in New Haven, Conn., earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and completed residencies in both general
and cardiothoracic surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. He also completed fellowships
at New York’s Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in thoracic surgery and Toronto General
Hospital/University of Toronto in lung transplant and general surgery.

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