Our Surgeons:

Steven Priolo, MD FACS

Board Certified in General Surgery

Dr. Priolo earned his undergraduate education from New York University. He graduated cum laude in 1990 and was part of the honorary society Phi Beta Kappa.  He then continued his career at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn New York where he earned an MD degree in 1994.  He completed a five year residency in General Surgery at Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn and Queens.  He subsequently became a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and started to practice in New York City in 1999.  In 2002 Dr. Priolo decided to move his family to New Jersey where he joined Dr. Steelman and began his practice at the Jersey Shore.  The practice was originally only a two doctor group but secondary to their success and excellent talent that joined them the group grew to a nine physician group encompassing multlple surgical specialties.  Dr. Steelman subsequently retired and we all appreciate what she did for the practice and truly miss her.  

Jonathan Yrad, MD FACS

Board Certified in General Surgery
Trained in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Wound Care Specialist

Dr. Yrad graduated from Cebu Doctors' University, Cebu City, Philippines. He started general surgical training at Silliman University Medical Center, Dumaguete City, Philippines. Dr. Yrad then continued his training in general surgery and trauma at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, and completed it at Catholic Medical Centers of Brooklyn and Queens in 2004.  After completing residency, he joined Drs. Priolo and Steelman, and now resides in Toms River with his wife and two children. Dr. Yrad regularly returns to the Philippines where he lectures on advances in general and minimally invasive surgery. Visits to his hometown also give him an opportunity to enjoy his enduring hobbies in woodworking, carpentry and sailing.

Tarun Bhandari, MD

Surgical Oncologist
Board Certified in General Surgery

Dr. Bhandari is a graduate of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore, India. He completed residency in Orthopedic Surgery from Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, India. He completed his General Surgery Residency from St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center, NY Medical College and also a Surgical Oncology fellowship from Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI. Dr. Bhandari Lives in Ocean county with his wife and two children. He is involved in charitable activities through MOCAAPI and surgical camps for poor people in India.

Eugene Zurkovsky, MD

Board Certified in General Surgery
Specializing in Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery
Additional Languages: Russian, Hebrew

Dr. Zurkovsky completed his Bachelor of Science degree at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, graduating with High Honors and a member of Beta Beta Beta, the Biology Honor Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta, the Premedical Honor Society.  During that time he also participated in research in Vascular and Microsurgery at Englewood Hospital in Englewood, NJ.  He then went on to receive his Doctor of Medicine degree at the Sackler School of Medicine NY State/American Program in Tel Aviv, Israel.  He spent time doing research in Minimally Invasive Surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.  He completed his general surgery residency at Morristown Memorial Hospital (affil Mount Sinai School of Medicine) in Morristown, NJ.  After residency he joined our practice and moved with his family down to Monmouth County.

Francis Kelly, MD

Board Certified in General Surgery

Anil K. Pahuja, MD FACS FASMBS

Board Certified in General Surgery
Fellowship Trained in Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery

Dr. Pahuja received his undergraduate degree from University at Albany followed by a Master's degree from Boston University.  He then received his Medical Degree from New York Medical College.  Dr Pahuja began his surgical residency at St Vincent's Medical Center in New York City and completed his surgical residency at Morristown Medical Center after St Vincent's closed.  He then went on to a Mininally Invasive and Bariatrics fellowship at the The Institute for Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY.  He is Board Certified in General Surgery and is the Medical Director of the Metabolic & Weight Loss Surgery Institute at Ocean Medical Center.

Visit www.jerseyshorebariatrics.com for more information on weight loss surgery.

James V. Pasquariello, MD FACS

Board Certified in General Surgery
Specializes in Bariatric Surgery

Dr. Pasquariello received his undergraduate degree from New York University and went on to receive his medical degree at the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. From there, he completed the Fifth Pathway program at New York Medical College and went on to complete his general surgery residency at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, NJ. He is board certified in general surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Pasquariello has special interest in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery, and helped start the Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery Institute at Ocean Medical Center. He is also fluent in Spanish.


Govardhana R Yannam MD


  • Board Certified in General Surgery
  • Fellowship trained in Multi-organ Transplant Surgery

Medical School: Guntur Medical College, India
Residency : Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston
Transplant Fellowship: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE

Forrest Rubenstein, M.D.

Thoracic and Vascular Surgery

General Surgery
Dr. Forrest Rubenstein is a Board certified thoracic, vascular  and cardiovascular surgeon, who received his medical degree from University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He did his residency and fellowship training at Brookdale University Medical Center,  Tulane University School Of Medicine, Harvard / Boston Children's Hospital  and The University Of Texas Medical Center in Houston. He provides a full range of General, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery procedures, including Endovascular Surgery.


Rory Snepar, DO, MSc

From North Brunswick, NJ
Undergrad: Cornell University
Med School: UMDNJ - School of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Stony Brook University, Peconic Bay Medical Center, Southampton Hospital

Specializes in General Surgery, Acute Care Surgery, Laparoscopy, Robotics, Abdominal Wall Reconstruction 

 Abha Ojha Kathuria, MD FACS

Dr. Abha Ojha Kathuria, MD DNB FACS is a Board Certified General Surgeon who completed her residency in General Surgery from the MGH Program affiliated to UIC in Chicago, IL in 2011. She has had more than 6 years of experience in general surgery, including breast and minimally invasive surgery in which she has special interest. She did her medical school training in India at S P Medical College, Bikaner where she was selected on the basis of merit. She completed postgraduate training in India as well in General Surgery and was certified as a Diplomate of National Board in General Surgery by the NBE in New Delhi, India. She then worked as a postgraduate trainee for about 2 years in Cardiac Surgery at AHIRC in Mumbai, India prior to coming to USA for starting her residency in general surgery. She has a passion for the field of Surgery as she comes from a family of physicians and derives her inspiration from her father, Uncles, Aunts and brother, some of whom being very accomplished and famous Surgeons / Physicians in India.

Chris Buchholz, MD MPH

Dr. Buchholz received his undergraduate education at William Jewell College in Liberty, MO, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in biology and chemistry with honors. He then went on to complete a Masters of Public Health (MPH) at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH and then completed his medical education at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. Moving back to the east coast again, he completed his general surgery residency training at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ and fellowship in bariatric/minimally invasive surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, focusing on laparoscopy and robotic surgery. Dr. Buchholz is board certified in general surgery. His true passion is weight loss surgery and minimally invasive surgery. He lives in Point Pleasant with his wife who is an ophthalmologist in Toms River.