Treatment in Bari (Italy)

Dr Braun's primary responsibilities include direct leadership and execution of complex surgeries, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and other advanced metabolic and bariatric procedures. He has developed solid experience in managing the different clinical challenges present in obese patients, providing them with personalized and optimized care to ensure positive long-term outcomes.

His surgical practice is based on an in-depth methodology and a careful look at the latest technological innovations in the field of bariatric surgery. He has actively worked to implement advanced protocols and continually improve operational techniques, while maintaining the highest standards of patient safety and care.

With over 2000 operations performed as a surgeon specializing in oncology, he has developed extensive experience and expertise in laparoscopic and robotic surgery applied to the care of cancer patients.

As a primary operator, he has successfully conducted a wide range of laparoscopic and robotic surgeries for the treatment of oncological conditions, including gastrointestinal, urological, gynecological and other solid tumors. His surgical practice has focused on the application of advanced techniques, using cutting-edge laparoscopic instruments and robotic systems

Since January 1993, Dr. Totaro holds the role of the Coordinator of the MAP (Medically Assisted Procreation) Center and of the Obstetrics-Gynecological Ultrasound Center at the Ospedale Santa Maria at the Maternal and Child Department. Under his supervision the Center, one of the leading MAR centers in Italy, performs more than 1,000 procedures a year. Ospedale Santa Maria - is in first position, for number of cycles of IUI, intrauterine insemination (586) - level I technique, while for the number of oocyte thawing procedures - level II and III technique - the hospital of Santa Maria from Bari occupies the 4th place in the national ranking.

In 1986 Dr. Totaro graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Bari, Italy with full marks, where 4 years later he specialized in Gynecology and Obstetrics. He then completed his diploma with participation at numerous professional courses, such as "Biophysical and biochemical monitoring of the fetus" (one year course, 1991, Bari) and obtaining a diploma in Clinical Sexuology from the ELEUSIS – International Center for the study, research and therapy of female, male and couple sexual dysfunctions (two years course, 1996, Bari). 

In order to broaden his knowledge in the obstetrics-gynecological scientific field, Dr. Totaro participates, both as moderator and speaker and as organizer, in numerous conferences, symposiums, congresses and courses (over 40 national and international congresses) and is the author of more than 30 scientific publications. 

Dr. Totaro is an active member of the following organizations:

ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology)

SIRU (Italian Society of Human Reproduction)

SIGO (Italian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics)

AOGOI (Italian Association of Hospital Obstetricians and Gynecologists)

SIMOP (Italian Society of Private Hospital Doctors)

ESG (European Society of Gynecology).

Dr. Antonello Ceddia specializes in Neurosurgery.

He graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome where, in 1989, he also obtained a specialization in Neurosurgery. After specialization he is a researcher at the Institute of Neurosurgery of the La Sapienza University of Rome and the Institute of Neurosurgery of the Catholic University.

He deals in particular with the treatment of brain tumors and trigeminal neuralgia.

His training, mainly oriented towards Pediatric Neurosurgery and Neuro-Orthopaedics, was completed with attendance at important centers and clinics in the United States and Germany, and with participation in experimental programs and international courses.

After having worked as a Neurosurgeon Assistant in the Neurosurgery Division of the Casa Sollievo Sofferenza Hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, since 2005 he has held the position of Head of the Neurosurgery Unit in Bari.

The prof. Giuseppe Speziale holds the positions of the National Coordinator of Cardiac Surgery of GVM Care & Research, the Director of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Anthea Hospital and Città di Lecce Hospital, and Director of the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the Santa Maria Hospital. He works at the Cardiological Clinical Institute (ICC) and San Carlo di Nancy Hospital in Rome. Since 2011 he has also held the position of Vice President of GVM Care & Research. In 2012 he occupied the charge of President of Confindustria Puglia, Health Section, and since 2018 he is Vice President of Aiop Puglia (Italian association of private hospitals). The prof. Speziale is a cardiac surgeon specializing in the minimally invasive surgical treatment of valve diseases, expert in minimally invasive repair of the mitral valve, in On and Off Pump myocardial revascularization, in thoracic aortic surgery. He is Co - Founder and President of the Scientific Committee of Mitral Academy, an independent association born from the passion for mitral surgery and the desire to pursue and share excellence in restorative surgery, with particular attention to minimally invasive techniques and the evaluation of potential therapeutic treatments deriving from the use of new technologies. Until 2016 he was elected Director of the Italian Society of Cardiac Surgery. He is part of the following associations: AATS (American Association for Thoracic Surgery), Italian Society of Cardiology Accredited Hospital, SICOA (active member), ISMICS (International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery). Since 2004 he has held the position of Scientific Director of the Italian Cardiopathic Association onlus.

In the field of scientific research, he focuses on new approaches, applicable in the field of minimally invasive and non-invasive mitral, aortic, cardiac arrhythmias and tricuspid surgery. He was the coordinator and researcher of the various projects of the National Research Council on Myocardial Infarction, on the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, on new technologies for carrying out coronary, cardiopulmonary and normothermic bypass. He was an adjunct professor at the Sapienza University of Rome where he held the Chair of Cardiology II, and at the University of Ferrara, where he teaches Cardiac Surgery. He has presented numerous scientific papers at national and international congresses of cardiology and cardiac surgery.

Bibliography: He is co-author of 6 books known nationally and internationally. The most recent one is Advances in Treatments for Aortic Valve and Root Diseases, publisher Springer International Publishing, 2018.

He is Reviewer and author of over 90 publications of multiple journals, such as Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, Heart & Lung: The Journal of Cardiopulmonary and Acute Care, European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Journal on Cardiac, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery etc.

Awards: “Top Doctors Awards”, 2021