Alexandria M. Gallagher, DO

Alexandria Gallagher, DO, completed her undergraduate education at Fordham University, receiving her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Anthropology. She spent time working in clinical research at Yale School of Medicine before matriculating at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a General Surgery Residency at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA, followed by a fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at Christiana Hospital in Newark, DE. Dr. Gallagher and the general surgery team in Norwalk provide care for both general and complex surgical needs, including:

• General emergency surgery (e.g. appendicitis, gallbladder disease, intestinal obstruction, severe soft tissue infection, traumatic injuries)
• Open and laparoscopic approaches to cholecystectomy
• Simple and complex hernia repair
• Da Vinci ® robotic-assisted surgery
• Management of complex surgical wounds
• Colectomy
• Bowel resection
• Skin and soft tissue surgery
• Appendectomy
• Mass excision and benign tumor removal
• Surgical critical care and trauma

She is originally from Connecticut and is enthusiastic about providing quality surgical care and giving back to the communities in which she grew up.

Why should someone choose you to care for their health?
I strive to provide a patient-centered, evidence-based approach to patient care as a fellowship-trained surgeon. I want to work together with my patients to ensure they understand their diagnosis and develop a treatment plan that is based on the most up-to-date medical literature.

What is the most important thing your patients should expect from their professional relationship with you? What do you expect from them?
My patients can expect honest and direct discussions related to their medical conditions and care. With that, I would present all available treatment options and work with them to create a personalized plan based on the most updated literature and evidence-based therapies. I would encourage them to express their concerns and ask any questions so that they can be addressed.

How do you spend your valuable personal time when you’re not caring for patients?
I chose surgery because of the variety of conditions that are treated within the specialty. With some surgical diseases, an operation can fix the problem and you see near-immediate patient improvement. With other surgical problems, you develop a longstanding relationship with your patient and can provide continued care for their condition. In addition, Acute Care Surgery allows me to care for patients who are critically ill or injured during a time that may be "the worst day of their life." The greatest reward is to be there for these patients on those "worst days" and see the progress they make both in the hospital and after discharge.

Why did you choose your specialty and what is its greatest reward?
I can fix the problem and you see near-immediate patient improvement. With other surgical problems, you develop a longstanding relationship with your patient and can provide continued care for their condition. In addition, Acute Care Surgery allows me to care for patients who are critically ill or injured during a time that may be "the worst day of their life." The greatest reward is to be there for these patients on those "worst days" and see the progress they make both in the hospital and after discharge.