Dr. Lee Zhao

Dr. Lee Zhao, MD, is a distinguished urologist specializing in Reconstructive Genitourinary Surgery and Gender Affirming Surgery. Prior to becoming a physician, he attended graduate school for biomedical engineering and volunteered in the Peace Corps. His interest in fixing problems and desire to help people led him to the field of urologic reconstructive surgery—a field that focuses on restoring a person’s quality of life.

After receiving his medical degree, Dr. Zhao pursued a fellowship where he gained experience in performing hundreds of reconstructive procedures for repair of urethral strictures, urinary tract fistulas, ureteral injuries, and genital deformities. He also performed surgeries to restore erectile function and urinary continence. Many of these procedures focused on helping people who had previously had unsuccessful surgeries.

Since 2013, he has been practicing at NYU Langone, specializing in reconstructive surgery for reproductive organs and the urinary system. One of the focuses of his practice is managing urethral strictures, which is a narrowing of the tube that carries urine out of the body. Appropriate evaluation and diagnosis of a urethral stricture is critical, because it can make a difference between temporary relief and a definitive, long-lasting solution. He also offers a range of surgical treatments to restore urinary continence or erectile function when medications are unable to adequately address these issues.

As part of the Transgender Surgery Services team—and in collaboration with his colleagues in the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery— Dr. Zhao performs gender-affirming surgical procedures.

In addition to clinical care, Dr. Zhao has authored numerous articles on trauma, urologic reconstruction, and surgical outcomes. As a member of the Trauma and Urologic Reconstructive Network of Surgeons (TURNS), he is actively involved in studying improvements in surgical outcomes and patient safety by participating in collaborative research with other prominent reconstructive urologists.