Colon and Rectal Cancer
Interview with Avo Artinyan, MD
Dr. Avo Artinyan is a board-certified general surgeon, fellowship-trained surgical oncologist, and colorectal surgeon. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine in 2000, followed by advanced general surgery training and specialized fellowships at the University of Southern California (USC) and City of Hope. Dr. Artinyan has held prominent academic and leadership roles, including Associate Professor of Surgery and Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. He is a nationally recognized expert in the management of complex colon and rectal cancers, gastric cancer, and other solid tumors, with a particular focus on complex reoperative surgeries aimed at resolving complications from prior procedures. Dr. Artinyan has authored over 60 peer-reviewed research publications and several book chapters. He has been invited to speak both nationally and internationally on innovative treatments for gastrointestinal cancers. A member of multiple prestigious surgical societies, he also serves on the editorial boards of leading surgical journals.
Dr. Vicken Sepilian is a Reproductive Medicine specialist and is the founder and director of American Fertility Specialists Medical Group. He is double board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Sepilian has been an active member of the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS) holding multiple leadership positions, including serving as the President from 2009 to 2013. Dr. Sepilian served as the Chairman of the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress and currently is the President of the Armenian Medical International Congress (AMIC), a nonprofit organization with chapters all over the world, with the aim of coordinating global efforts in improving healthcare in Armenia. Passionate about community education, in 2008, Dr. Sepilian launched the “Your Health” educational TV program aimed at sharing with the community the latest and most important healthcare topics. Since 2008, the show has been making house calls to tens of thousands of viewers helping educate them on preventative care and healthy lifestyles. In 2010, Dr. Sepilian, alongside other civic leaders and the former Mayor of the City of Glendale, co-founded the Glendale Health Festival. Dr. Sepilian worked closely with city and state officials and local hospitals to organize this large-scale event with the aim of improving the health of the community. Dr. Sepilian is a strong believer that success and wealth are measured by life’s experiences and human interactions and that true happiness and purpose are achieved by giving. Cherished memories include debates about life and death with Dr. Jack Kevorkian, delivering pens to students in villages in Sri Lanka and teaching chess to orphans in Nepal.
