About Dr. Karamanoukian and the Vein Treatment Center

Dr. Hratch Karamanoukian, MD is a Board Certified Cardiothoracic surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, robotic surgery and vein disorders.

He obtained his training at UCLA, the University of Southern California and the University at Buffalo. He has graduated cum laude from Honors Collegium at UCLA with a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. After obtaining his medical degree (MD) from the Unisversity of Southern California (USC), Dr. Karamanoukian completed his residency training in general surgery and thoracic surgery with highest honors from the University at Buffalo. In addition to  two dozen research awards, Dr. Karamanoukian received the Worthington Schenck Resident Teacher of the Year Award, Dr. Rutecki Memorial Award given to one Graduating Chief Resident and Best All Around Graduating Resident Award. As such, he was awarded 3 out of 5 awards at graduation from a class of 10 surgery chief resident peers in 1997.

Dr. Karamanoukian has performed NIH sponsored research at the Childrens Hospital of Buffalo in the fields of pulmonary hypertension, inhaled nitric oxide and surfactant physiology. His work, under the leadership of Dr. Philip Glick and Bruce Holm, has improved the survival of critically ill infants born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and surfactant deficiency. Children born before 32 weeks gestation have benefited from the surfactant research conducted at Childrens Hospital of Buffalo. Calf lung surfactant was studied and administered in animal models and later premature infants and was the basis of the scientific and clinical research done by Dr. Karamanoukian between 1992 and 1995. He has also done seminal research in fetal surgery at the Childrens Hospital under the tutelage of Dr. Glick, a pediatric surgeon of international stature and pioneer in the field of fetal surgery. Childrens Hospital of Buffalo was the second center in the US that developed a clinical program in fetal surgery (1989) - The Buffalo Institute of Fetal Surgery (BIFT).

Dr. karamanoukian has published more than 140 scientific articles in peer reviewed journals in the field of fetal surgery, robotic surgery, beating heart surgery, pulmonary hypertension, diaphragmatic hernia, cardiovascular surgery and cardiovascular medicine. He has authored or co-authored 12 textbooks and review books in the fields of cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery and general surgery. His review books have helped thousands of general surgery residents pass their written and oral surgery boards. These books, titled ABSITE Combat Manual and Thoracic Surgery Board Review, among others, are well recognized by trainees sitting for their speciaty board examinations.

Dr. Karamanoukian is former Director of the Center for Less Invasive Cardiac Surgery and Robotic Heart Surgery at Kaleida Health. He held that position from 1999 to 2005.

He is a pioneer in beating heart surgery and robotic heart surgery. He was one of the first surgeons in the United States to perform beating heart robotic coronary artery bypass surgery and robotically assisted thoracic surgery. His work with the Zeus Robotic System and AESOP Robotic System was presented in more than a dozen scientific meetings in the US, Europe and Japan. Dr. Karamanoukian has also taught beating heart robotic heart surgery and was part of the FDA trial utilizing the Zeus Robotic System in beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery.  

He is a member of Advanced Cardiac Surgical Associates, with offices at the Georgetown Plaza in Williamsville, NY and in East Amherst and Clarence, NY.  He also shares an office with Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. Together, the two brother surgeons have performed the VNUS Closure procedure in several dozen Hollywood notables in the last 5 years and EVLT in countless others. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian has since established the Santa Monica Veins Center and practices in beverly Hills, CA and Santa Monica, CA.

Dr. Karamanoukian has traveled the world and volunteered to teach the EVLT and VNUS Closure procedures to other surgeons. His last trip was to Poland where the VNUS Closure procedure was taught to a group of 12 vascular surgeons.

Dr. Karamanoukian has donated an EVLT machine to surgeons in the Republic of Armenia for them to perform this procedure in lieu of ligation and VEIN stripping. This has been a highly successful program. As well, he has donated surgical instruments for use in a vascular and ophthalmology center of excellence in the Republic of Armenia.

Dr. Karamanoukian has been singularly noted for developing the most advanced and comprehensive Vein Treatment Center in the United States. The Vein Treatment Center was established in 2003. He was one of the few surgeons in the United States to perform the VNUS Closure procedure in the office setting. As well, he is the first in the world to perform the VNUS and EVLT procedures in a bilateral fashion in a single office visit. He currently performs all of his surgical procedures at the Vein Treatment Center in Williamsville, New York. The Vein Treatment Center is a National Center of Excellence for Vein Disorders. Dr. Karamanoukian is also Director of the Center for Excessive Sweating.

Dr. Karamanoukian is currently focused on providing the BEST surgical care to patients needing thoracic surgery and venous surgery in Western New York. He is currently involved as a consultant to two NIH funded research studies at the University at Buffalo in the field of tissue engineered vascular grafts.

For more information about varicose veins, spider veins, venous reflux and treatment options such as the closure procedure or guided sclero, contact Dr. Karamanoukian at the Vein Treatment Center, a National Center of Excellence for Vein Disorders by email or by phone at (716) 839-3638.