Procedure Volume Patient Data Patient Conditions Reviews General Payments Back to Top

Home > NY Providers > Thoracic (Chest) Surgeons

Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD

Accepting New Patients

(Benjamin E Lee, M.D.)

(1 Rating)

Specializes in: Thoracic Surgery, General Practice and Cardiac Surgery

New York Medical College (2001)

Professional interests include: excision, esophageal surgery, robotic surgery, and more.

525 East 68th Street M-404
New York, NY 10065

(212) 746-5043

Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD is a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY specializing in thoracic surgery, general practice and cardiac surgery. He graduated from New York Medical College in 2001 and has 25 years of experience. Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medicine and Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Office Locations

525 East 68th Street M-404
New York, NY 10065

open_in_new

136-56 39th Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354

open_in_new

56-45 Main Street 3 South
Flushing, NY 11355

open_in_new

Some issues Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD can help you with:

Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery is a kind of minimally invasive surgery using a thin, narrow tube called a laparoscope. Usually performed on the abdomen or the pelvic region, the surgeon makes a few very small incisions instead of one large one.

During the procedure, the surgeon inserts the laparoscope, which contains a light and camera that allows the surgeon to see what is happening inside the body. Then tiny tools are placed through the small openings and used to perform the surgery.

The most common laparoscopic surgery is gallbladder removal, but laparoscopic surgery may also be used for the removal of a kidney or appendix, to treat certain cysts and tumors, for bariatric surgery, for some GERD treatments, or for hernia repairs, among others.

Because laparoscopic surgery only uses a few tiny incisions, the scars are minimal and recovery is easier than with open surgery.

Robotic Surgery

Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery, using a tiny opening to get inside the body instead of making a large cut. It uses small tools attached to a thin robotic arm, which is controlled by the surgeon. Robotic surgery may be referred to by the specific kind of robot that is used. The most advanced robot currently in use is called the da Vinci, and surgery using it is sometimes called da Vinci surgery.

There are many benefits to robotic surgery, both for the patient and the surgeon. Robotic surgery allows for more precise movements and increased control during very delicate surgical procedures. This makes performing surgery accurately much easier for surgeons and reduces fatigue. The smaller 'hand' of the robot can enter the body via a much smaller opening, which reduces the risk of infection and scarring and leads to a faster recovery. The robotic hands also contain tiny moveable cameras among their tools, giving surgeons a much closer view of the procedure than would be possible with traditional surgery.

In The News

“In August, the system announced that Dr. Benjamin Lee had been poached from Valley Hospital in New Jersey and appointed chief of thoracic surgery.”—"The great Queens health care overhaul", Politico, July 2016

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 10%

By Volume:

thoracic surgery procedures

thoracoscopic lymphadenectomy

By Affordability:

non-anatomic lung resection

wedge resection

In 2023, among providers in related specialties within New York, Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD performed more thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, and thoracoscopic lymphadenectomy procedures for Medicare patients than 90% of them and he also had a list price for non-anatomic lung resection, and wedge resection that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 90% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Top 25%

By Volume:

video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

By Affordability:

In 2012, among providers in related specialties within New York, Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD performed more video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) procedures for Medicare patients than 75% of them and he also had a list price for lung resection, lung surgery, VATS lung resection, and VATS lung surgery that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 75% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2012 were minimally invasive procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, diagnostic procedures and bronchoscopy.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	50
bronchoscopy	58
catheterization	25
diagnostic procedures	58
dissection	29
doctor visit	269
excision	47
hospital care	44
inpatient care	44
lobectomy	21
lymph node procedures	29
minimally invasive procedures	140
minor procedures	35
open surgery	27
pleural drainage	15
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	109
thoracostomy	27

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2013 were minimally invasive procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, excision and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	27
bronchoscopy	27
catheterization	27
diagnostic procedures	27
dissection	30
doctor visit	358
excision	45
gastrointestinal procedures	28
hospital care	33
inpatient care	33
lobectomy	23
lymph node procedures	30
minimally invasive procedures	138
minor procedures	27
open surgery	13
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	96
thoracostomy	13
tracheal (windpipe) procedures	19

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	160
Female	196

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	326
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	143
From 75 to 84	145
85 and over	57
Less than 65	11

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2013

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	54
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	28
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	41
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	36
Diabetes	34
Dementia	12
Cancer	54

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2014 were minimally invasive procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, inpatient care and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	27
bronchoscopy	51
catheterization	23
diagnostic procedures	38
dissection	32
doctor visit	387
excision	32
gastrointestinal procedures	42
hospital care	58
inpatient care	58
lobectomy	24
lymph node procedures	32
minimally invasive procedures	163
minor procedures	27
open surgery	19
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	11
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	89
thoracostomy	19
tracheal (windpipe) procedures	18

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	162
Female	220

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	349
Black	11
Hispanic	0
Asian	11
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	155
From 75 to 84	141
85 and over	67
Less than 65	19

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2014

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	68
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	57
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	23
Heart Failure	41
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	38
Diabetes	38
Dementia	14
Cancer	52

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2015 were minimally invasive procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, inpatient care and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	35
bronchoscopy	58
catheterization	29
diagnostic procedures	35
dissection	39
doctor visit	426
excision	61
gastrointestinal procedures	14
hospital care	74
inpatient care	74
lobectomy	30
lymph node procedures	39
minimally invasive procedures	195
minor procedures	35
open surgery	19
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	142
thoracostomy	19
tracheal (windpipe) procedures	22

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	396
Female	488

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	804
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	32
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	366
From 75 to 84	350
85 and over	128
Less than 65	40

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2015

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	74
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	54
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	28
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	26
Heart Failure	38
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	40
Diabetes	36
Dementia	14
Cancer	51

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2016 were thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, minimally invasive procedures, excision and hospital care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

catheterization	14
dissection	30
doctor visit	255
excision	41
hospital care	35
inpatient care	35
lobectomy	19
lymph node procedures	30
minimally invasive procedures	72
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	72

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	147
Female	168

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	270
Black	0
Hispanic	11
Asian	15
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	125
From 75 to 84	110
85 and over	58
Less than 65	22

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2016

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	72
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	54
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	44
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	22
Heart Failure	30
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	42
Diabetes	37
Dementia	12
Cancer	62

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2017 were dissection, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, minimally invasive procedures and lymph node procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	12
doctor visit	63
excision	12
lymph node procedures	12
minimally invasive procedures	12
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	12

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	54
Female	43

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	54
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	23
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	52
From 75 to 84	28
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2017

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	58
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	34
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	16
Heart Failure	34
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	46
Diabetes	46
Dementia	0
Cancer	62

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2018 were dissection, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, minimally invasive procedures and lymph node procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	12
doctor visit	164
excision	12
lymph node procedures	12
minimally invasive procedures	12
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	12

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	78
Female	64

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	70
Black	15
Hispanic	0
Asian	39
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	67
From 75 to 84	51
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2018

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	73
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	58
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	15
Heart Failure	32
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	42
Diabetes	54
Dementia	18
Cancer	56

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2019 were minimally invasive procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, excision and dissection.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	22
doctor visit	221
excision	35
lymph node procedures	22
minimally invasive procedures	61
pleural drainage	14
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	47
thoracostomy	14

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	94
Female	81

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	94
Black	0
Hispanic	20
Asian	40
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	85
From 75 to 84	59
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2019

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	57
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	39
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	27
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	37
Diabetes	49
Dementia	17
Cancer	53

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2020 were thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, minimally invasive procedures, dissection and lymph node procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	21
doctor visit	144
excision	21
lobectomy	16
lymph node procedures	21
minimally invasive procedures	37
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	37

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	64
Female	63

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	71
Black	13
Hispanic	0
Asian	27
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	53
From 75 to 84	50
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2020

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	61
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	41
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	24
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	41
Diabetes	47
Dementia	17
Cancer	61

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2021 were thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, minimally invasive procedures, excision and dissection.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	23
doctor visit	145
excision	35
lymph node procedures	23
minimally invasive procedures	35
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	35

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	53
Female	75

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	67
Black	13
Hispanic	0
Asian	33
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	65
From 75 to 84	43
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2021

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	62
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	38
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	42
Diabetes	47
Dementia	9
Cancer	66

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY during 2022 were dissection, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, minimally invasive procedures and lymph node procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	17
doctor visit	179
excision	17
lymph node procedures	17
minimally invasive procedures	17
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	17

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	68
Female	80

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	75
Black	0
Hispanic	19
Asian	39
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	69
From 75 to 84	56
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD in 2022

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	22
Osteoperosis	20
Atrial Fibrilation	24
Heart Failure	22
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	42
Diabetes	50
Dementia	0
Cancer	72

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated as a thoracic surgeon in New York, NY were minimally invasive procedures, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures, inpatient care and bronchoscopy.

aspiration	34
bronchoscopy	48
catheterization	23
diagnostic procedures	39
dissection	24
doctor visit	237
excision	32
gastrointestinal procedures	28
hospital care	48
inpatient care	48
lobectomy	22
lymph node procedures	24
minimally invasive procedures	80
minor procedures	31
open surgery	19
pleural drainage	14
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	11
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	60
thoracostomy	18
tracheal (windpipe) procedures	19

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD.

**Gender**
Male	116
Female	134

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	4
Asian / Pacific Islander	23
Non-Hispanic White	198
Hispanic	4
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	93
85 and over	28
Less than 65	8
65 to 74	107

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, cancer and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	51
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	14
Osteoporosis	10
Heart Failure	28
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	36
Diabetes	39
Atrial Fibrillation	17
Cancer	53
Dementia	10

Education & Training

Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD graduated from New York Medical College in 2001. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery American Board of Thoracic Surgery and has a state license in New York.

Medical School: New York Medical College (2001)

Board Certification: American Board of Surgery American Board of Thoracic Surgery

Licensed In: New York

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

NewYork-Presbyterian

Weill Cornell Medicine

Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: 1199 National Benefit Fund, Multiplan, MultiPlan and 1199 National Benefit Fund.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

1199 National Benefit Fund

Multiplan

MultiPlan

1199 National Benefit Fund

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD has an average of 1.0 out of 5 stars based on 1 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in New York, NY.

Overall Rating

(1 Rating)

Leave a Review

Reviews Left On DocSpot

Overall Rating: 1.0 2016-02-23

Although Dr. Lee is proficient in the narrow scope of lung tumor removal, my experience with him as my mother's surgeon shows that he is <strong>ill-prepared</strong> to orchestrate the associated needs of his patients during their post-op hospital stay. As a lung cancer specialist, with patients actively addicted to cigarettes and alcohol, Dr. Lee is surprisingly <strong>uninformed</strong> and uncomfortable regarding the psychosocial aspects of addiction and how lung cancer is part of a larger, more complex issue.

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP	$19,972 TAGRISSO $17,976	IMFINZI $1,975	IRESSA $22
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.	$1,736 Da Vinci Surgical System $1,736
Covidien LP	$953 $953
Medtronic, Inc.	$841 ENDO GIA ULTRA $143	$698
Pacira Pharmaceuticals Incorporated	$580 Exparel $580
Other	$2,078 ATRICURE CRYOICE CRYOABLATION SYSTEM (CRYO2) $247	Gilotrif $178	OPDIVO $148	SURGICAL $141	Interventional Lung Solutions $120	Other $1,244

**Types of Payments**
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$14,250
Consulting Fee	$7,231
Food and Beverage	$4,470
Travel and Lodging	$208

Research Payments

Dr. Benjamin E. Lee, MD has received 1 research payments totaling $42,730.

Biography

Dr. Benjamin Lee's specialties are cardiac surgery, general practice, and thoracic surgery. He practices in Flushing, NY and New York, NY. Clinical interests for Dr. Lee include thoracic outlet syndrome, surgical repair, and pectus excavatum (sunken chest). He is an in-network provider for MultiPlan and 1199SEIU insurance. He is a graduate of New York Medical College. He has received professional recognition including the following: Alpha Omega Alpha, Junior - New York Medical College and Society of University Surgeons Traveling Fellowship Award. Dr. Lee (or staff) speaks Mandarin and Spanish. Dr. Lee is affiliated with Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Lee welcomes new patients at his office inNew York, NY as reported by Yext.