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Leonard N. Zinman

Leonard N. Zinman

🇺🇸 United Statesd. 2021
Mentored by
Richard Turner-Warwick

Training and career​

  • Died June 26, 20211
  • Last position Professor of urology, Lahey Clinic1
  • Medical school Tufts University School of Medicine1
  • Residency Surgical training, Boston VA; urology residency, Massachusetts General Hospital1
  • Fellowship Reconstructive urology with Richard Turner-Warwick, Institute of Urology, London, 1967–19681
  • Other training Renal transplantation fellowship, England, 1973–19741
  • Leadership Founder, Lahey Center for Reconstructive Urologic Surgery, 19732
  • Leadership Lahey urology residency director, 1970–1990; department chair, 1986–19931
  • Honors AUA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2015; GURS Lifetime Achievement Award, 20191

Biography​

Leonard Zinman's interest in genitourinary reconstruction grew during urology training at Massachusetts General Hospital, where Wyland Leadbetter and W. Hardy Hendren encouraged that direction.1 He joined Lahey Clinic in 1964, trained with Richard Turner-Warwick in London from 1967 to 1968, and founded Lahey's Center for Reconstructive Urologic Surgery in 1973; he remained at Lahey for more than 50 years.21

Zinman described his group's work as addressing radiation injuries and long, high-risk strictures with combinations of oral mucosa grafts, muscle or myocutaneous flaps and other graft materials.1 The same obituary records reconstruction for male genital cancer and adjunct use of injectable agents intended to limit fibrosis.1

Zinman directed Lahey's residency program, later chaired urology, and helped establish the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons with Gerald Jordan, Charles Devine and Charles Horton.1 Colleagues remembered his persistent inquiry and his affection for patients and colleagues; he trained many residents.1

Key Publications​

A 2020 conference abstract credited his group with gracilis muscle interposition for rectourethral fistula repair and with using gracilis muscle as a vascular bed for oral mucosa urethral grafts.3 The same abstract documented work on urethral squamous cell carcinoma, bladder reconstruction, and recalcitrant bladder neck contractures.3

  1. Morey AF, Tran LK, Zinman LM. "Q‐flap reconstruction of panurethral strictures." BJU International. 2000;86(9):1039–1042. doi

    Q-flap panurethral reconstruction (2000). Co-developed the Q-flap, a penile skin flap for single-stage reconstruction of extensive anterior urethral strictures.

    Cited on: Q-Flap (Morey / Tran / Zinman)
  2. Vanni AJ, Zinman LN, Buckley JC. "Radial Urethrotomy and Intralesional Mitomycin C for the Management of Recurrent Bladder Neck Contractures." Journal of Urology. 2011;186(1):156–160. doi

    Intralesional mitomycin C for recurrent bladder neck contracture (2011). Co-reported radial urethrotomy with intralesional mitomycin C for recurrent bladder neck contracture.

    Cited on: Transurethral Incision of Bladder Neck Contracture (TUIBNC) · Antimitotics and Antifibrotics · History of Urethral Surgery
  3. Palmer DA, Buckley JC, Zinman LN, et al. "Urethroplasty for High Risk, Long Segment Urethral Strictures with Ventral Buccal Mucosa Graft and Gracilis Muscle Flap." Journal of Urology. 2015;193(3):902–905. doi

    Buccal graft urethroplasty with gracilis muscle flap (2015). Helped describe gracilis muscle support for buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty in high-risk, long-segment strictures.

    Cited on: Laminated Gracilis Flap Urethroplasty · Gracilis Flap · Posterior Urethral Stenosis

Recognition​

He received the AUA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and the GURS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.1

Other Publications Cited on WARWIKI

15 additional publications with Leonard N. Zinman as a listed author are cited on WARWIKI, ordered by the number of pages that cite them. Papers whose author list is shortened to "et al." before this name are not included.

  1. Vanni AJ, Buckley JC, Zinman LN. "Management of Surgical and Radiation Induced Rectourethral Fistulas With an Interposition Muscle Flap and Selective Buccal Mucosal Onlay Graft." J Urol. 2010;184(6):2400–2404. doi
    Cited on: Gracilis Flap · Medial Thigh Flap Family · Rectourethral Fistula
  2. Kowalik C, Stoffel JT, Zinman L, Vanni AJ, Buckley JC. "Intermediate Outcomes After Female Urethral Reconstruction: Graft vs Flap." Urology. 2014;83(5):1181–1185. doi
    Cited on: Blandy Flap · Female Vaginal Flap Urethroplasty (Blandy U-Flap) · Lateral-Based Anterior Vaginal Wall Flap (Romero-Maroto / Simonato)
  3. Kaufman DA, Browne BM, Zinman LN, Vanni AJ. Management of Radiation Anterior Prostato-Symphyseal Fistulas With Interposition Rectus Abdominis Muscle Flap. Urology. 2016;92:122–126. doi
    Cited on: Urethropubic Fistula · Organ-Sparing USF Repair with Interposition Flap · Bladder-Sparing Approaches for Urosymphyseal / Puboprostatic Fistula
  4. Kaufman DA, Zinman LN, Buckley JC, et al. "Short- and long-term complications and outcomes of radiation and surgically induced rectourethral fistula repair with buccal mucosa graft and muscle interposition flap." Urology. 2016;98:170–175. doi
    Cited on: Rectourethral Fistula · Rectovesical Fistula · Transperineal Approach to Rectourethral Fistula
  5. Patel CK, Buckley JC, Zinman LN, Vanni AJ. Outcomes for management of lichen sclerosus urethral strictures by 3 different techniques. Urology. 2016;91:215-21. doi
    Cited on: Lichen Sclerosus · Staged BMG Urethroplasty (Female) · Augmented Perineal Urethrostomy
  6. Palmer DA, Marcello PW, Zinman LN, Vanni AJ. Urethral reconstruction with rectal mucosa graft onlay: a novel, minimally invasive technique. J Urol. 2016;196(3):782-786. doi
    Cited on: Grafts in Genitourinary Reconstruction · Posterior Auricular (Postauricular) Skin Graft · Enterourethroplasty
  7. Kozinn SI, Harty NJ, Zinman L, Buckley JC. "Management of Complex Anterior Urethral Strictures With Multistage Buccal Mucosa Graft Reconstruction." Urology. 2013;82(3):718–22. doi
    Cited on: Staged BMG Urethroplasty (Female) · Johanson Two-Stage Urethroplasty
  8. Zinman LN. Combined use of fasciocutaneous, muscular and myocutaneous flaps and graft onlays in urethral reconstruction. In: Montague DK, Gill IS, Angermeier KW, Ross JH, eds. Textbook of Reconstructive Urologic Surgery. Informa Healthcare; 2008:489.
    Cited on: Ventral BMG + Gracilis Muscle Flap (Vanni / Zinman) · Singapore Flap Urethroplasty
  9. Chung BI, Hamawy KJ, Zinman LN, Libertino JA. The use of bowel for ureteral replacement for complex ureteral reconstruction: long-term results. J Urol. 2006;175(1):179-183. doi
    Cited on: Ileal Ureter · Reconfigured Colon Ureteral Substitute
  10. Pagura EJ, Cavallo JA, Zinman LN, Vanni AJ. Rectal mucosa graft take in staged urethroplasty. Urology. 2019;127:e1-e2. doi
    Cited on: Grafts in Genitourinary Reconstruction
  11. Herschorn S, Elliott S, Coburn M, Wessells H, Zinman L. SIU/ICUD consultation on urethral strictures: posterior urethral stenosis after treatment of prostate cancer. Urology. 2014;83(3 Suppl):S59-S70. doi
    Cited on: Cancer Survivorship
  12. Zinman LN, Buckley JC. The Application of Muscular, Myocutaneous, and Fasciocutaneous Flaps as Adjuncts in Complex Refractory Urethral Disorders. In: Brandes SB, Morey AF, eds. Advanced Male Urethral and Genital Reconstructive Surgery. 2nd ed. Humana Press; 2014:249-271. doi
    Cited on: Rectourethral Fistula

Footnotes​

  1. Leonard N. Zinman, MD - Brezniak Funeral Directors. Accessed October 2026. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15

  2. Reconstructive Urologic Surgery | Lahey Clinic. Accessed October 2026. ↩ ↩2

  3. canjurol.com. Accessed October 2026. ↩ ↩2