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Shirin Towfigh (born 1971) is a surgical innovator specializing in minimally invasive hernia surgery in the United States.[1] She is the President and Founder of the Beverly Hills Hernia Center, a specialty clinic launched in 2013, dedicated to treating hernias and hernia-related complications.[2] She is also the CEO of Hexagon Health, Inc., a technology company developed to promote and advance abdominal wall and pelvic floor health, using a multi-faceted, gender-specific approach.[3]
Towfigh was born in 1971 in the capital city of Tehran, Iran. She moved to the United States at the age of two, as her father wished to raise his daughter in a land where opportunity flourishes for females. After completing her primary education at Santa Monica High School, she completed her undergraduate education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). During her undergraduate years, Towfigh first realized her passion for medicine.[4] Her father, Hossein Towfigh, pioneered the Iranian freedom of the press and was the editor-in-chief of the Towfigh Magazine.[5] Her mother, Faranguis Ghazanfarian Taleghani, was born of the Khalatbari family, notable for her great grandfather, Sepahsalar Khalatbari, former Commander-in-Chief and four-term Prime Minister of Iran.[6] Her family’s philosophy of democratic freedoms and service to the people profoundly influences Towfigh in her mission in life.
Towfigh attended the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) for medical school. It was in her clerkship year that she gained an interest in surgery.[4] After completing medical school, she moved back to Los Angeles, where she completed a general surgical residency at UCLA in 2002.[7] Her interest in minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery was sparked during residency, as she says she was always interested in laparoscopy due to potentials in technological advancements.[8]
Towfigh is certified by the American Board of Surgery and was also awarded an honorary certificate in abdominal wall surgery by the European Board of Surgery.[2] Her primary focus in general surgery is the treatment of hernias and hernia related problems.
After completing residency, her first job as a general surgeon was at the University of Southern California and the County Hospital of Los Angeles.[1] There, she worked with renowned laparoscopic surgeons Tom Demeester, Jeffrey Peters, and Namir Katkhouda.[8] She worked as the lead surgeon to underserved patients with complex hernia problems during her time at the County Hospital of Los Angeles, which later motivated her to pursue a career in hernia surgery.[4] She joined Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Department of Surgery in 2008 to help advance the surgical education program. There, she worked with Edward Phillips and George Berci, two renowned laparoscopic surgeons. While at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, she focused her surgical practice exclusively to the treatment of hernias and hernia related complications. Her residents gave her the nickname, “Queen of Hernias”.[9]
Towfigh ultimately decided to advance hernia care as a private practicing surgeon. “Why would I choose to be employed with… a whole hierarchy of administrative bosses, when I can be my own boss, without a ceiling on growth?” she wrote in a book.[10] Thus, in 2013, she opened the Beverly Hills Hernia Center, a multi-disciplinary clinic that cares for hernia patients with various hernia-related issues.[2] She is also the chief executive officer at Hexagon Health, Inc., which aims to improve hernia outcomes.[3] Through her work at Hexagon Health, Towfigh holds multiple patents in hernia mesh innovation.[11] She is also the sponsor of the American Hernia Society’s Female Factors in Hernia Award, which helps promote research and gender awareness as it pertains to hernia evaluation, repair, and their outcomes.[12]
As chief resident in 2002, Towfigh was awarded the Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Teaching by the UCLA School of Medicine and the Golden Scalpel Award in Recognition of Teaching Excellence in the UCLA Department of Surgery.[2] In 2023, she was awarded the Golden Apple teaching award by the Chief Residents in Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for outstanding teaching.[2] She also teaches medical students at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Towfigh’s research is focused on various aspects of hernia surgery and surgical education, including peer-reviewed publications,[13] book chapters and the textbook “SAGES Manual of Groin Pain,” of which she is co-Editor.[14] She has delivered hundreds of lectures nationally and internationally .[2]
Towfigh has held leadership positions in surgery locally and nationally. She was the first female President of the American College of Surgeons, Southern California Chapter from 2015-2016.[15] She has served as the Governor to the American College of Surgeons and to the American Hernia Society. She is an active member of national and international hernia societies, including the American Hernia Society, International Hernia Collaboration, and Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeon (SAGES). She earned the SAGES Member Spotlight Award in 2021 and the SAGES Recognition of Excellence Award in 2022.[8][16]
Alongside her clinical and academic pursuits, Towfigh has a social media presence dedicated toward education and awareness of hernias, under the moniker “herniadoc.” She started her podcast channel, “HerniaTalk LIVE,” in April 2020.[17] With this weekly live podcast, she discusses relevant hernia-related patient issues to educate providers and patients and invites guest specialists to augment the discussion and learning.
Towfigh is an advocate of women in surgery. She hosted the first Women in Surgery event in Los Angeles in 2002. [2] This event evolved into an integrated Women in Surgery mentorship event held at the annual meeting of the Southern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. She was instated as the first female President of the Americal College of Surgeons Southern California Chapter in 2015.[18] Her research highlights the importance of hernias in women via research publications and lectures.[13] She has been spotlighted for her work on hernias in women in the New York Times and the Washington Post.[19][20] She sponsors an annual research award, Female Factors in Hernia Award, to promote research on hernias in females.[12] Her patented gender-based designs of hernia mesh were inspired by her experience with mesh complications seen disparately among males and females.[11]
Towfigh enjoys painting, drawing, and participating in various forms of art in her spare time. She speaks English, Spanish, French and Persian. She is godmother (“marraine”) to two girls in France. As a teenager, she used to be a member of the Santa Monica swim and synchronized swimming teams, and she was server at Santa Monica High School volleyball junior varsity team. She enjoys swimming and hiking.[21]
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