Yuzuru Sambommatsu, MD

Biography

A doctor who thrives on challenges and saving lives

As an abdominal transplant surgeon, Dr. Yuzuru Sambommatsu knows his patients’ lives are, quite literally, in his hands.

But he confidently welcomes that opportunity and is drawn to the work of performing such complicated, hours-long procedures that are so desperately needed to change and save their lives. And as he walks patients through the risks involved in undergoing such a surgery, he also wants them to know they can trust him.

“With my own hands, I can make a difference and treat very sick patients and care for them,” Sambommatsu says. “It’s very hard work, but it’s very rewarding.”

Sambommatsu’s medical career began as a general surgeon at a hospital in Okinawa, Japan. But he wanted to take on more difficult procedures, so he went through the long and arduous training needed to specialize in transplant care. “Now, I can use these skills to save lives,” he says. “They can go back to regular, normal life. They can go back to school or go back to work. They can go to the gym.”

Sambommatsu treats patients with kidney failure, liver cancer, cirrhosis, autoimmune diseases and other illnesses. He came to VCU Health in 2020 to pursue a multi-organ transplant surgery fellowship. Today, as a member of VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center’s Transplant Surgery Team, he performs a wide range of surgeries, including liver transplants, kidney transplants, hepatobiliary tumor resections, and robotic surgeries. He’s also there for patients needing other critical procedures, including living donor liver transplants that allow patients to regain their energy, appetite and their life.

Sambommatsu also works with Dr. Aamir Khan, medical director of the Hume-Lee islet cell program, who removes a patient’s diseased pancreas while transplanting their pancreatic islet cells into their liver to maintain insulin and blood sugar levels.

“These patients suffer from severe pain because of chronic pancreatitis,” Sambommatsu says of the patients he treats with Khan. “They must take a lot of pain medication. They’ve undergone multiple surgeries just for their pain. This procedure can improve their quality of life. They feel much less pain and they feel better.”

Today, Sambommatsu is a member of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and several Japanese surgical societies.

He was drawn to Hume-Lee in part because of the wide range of innovative procedures performed here, including robotic liver transplants that offer a minimally invasive surgical approach that can lessen patient recovery time. At VCU, Sambommatsu is continuing his research in the fields of living donor liver transplantation and robotic surgery, and has made oral presentations, co-authored medical journal articles, and presented research posters to peers and various transplant organizations.

And when it comes to patient care, Sambommatsu says it is essential to collaborate with a team of medical providers who can bring their expertise and medical care from across multiple disciplines. And he’s dedicated to changing the lives of people who have few other options.

“I want to say ‘yes’ to those patients who have been declined for care at other centers,” he says.

Advice to Patients:

“We are partners, and we need to work together. I can give you advice, but you have to act. Trust your doctors because we are the experts, but whenever you have questions, just ask. I'm always happy to answer any type of question that helps you understand your care plan. Our ultimate goal is to provide you with the best care possible.”