Joel T. Funk, MD, FACS

Associate Professor, Urology
Associate Director of Peri-Operative Services, BUMCT/S
Chief of Surgical Services, BUMC-South Campus
Director of Urological Surgery-BUMC-South Campus
Academic Professional Bio: 

Joel Funk, MD, FACS, is a nationally and internationally recognized expert and key thought leader in laser prostatectomy and female urology. He was the first urologist to perform a holmium prostatectomy in southern Arizona and remains one of a handful of surgeons nationwide, performing at least 100 of these procedures a year.

Dr. Funk has extensive experience in the surgical and non-surgical management of prostate and bladder outlet obstruction in men. Furthermore, he is an active female urology specialist with expertise in robotic sacrocolpopexy, vaginal mesh excision, and anti-incontience surgery. Dr. Funk received his undergraduate degree from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and matriculated to The Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago in 1997. Upon his graduation, he joined the University of Arizona in Tucson as a urology resident in 2001. Completing his residency in 2007, he realized Tucson was home and joined the clinical faculty in the Department of Surgery. He completed additional training in laser prostatectomy at Addensbrooke Hospital in Cambridge in 2009.

Dr. Funk is the chief of surgical services and the director of urology at Banner University Medical Center South.

Research Interests: 

MRI imaging and evaluation of pelvic organ prolapse
Long term outcomes from HoLEP
Prostate cancer risk
Histologic evaluation of the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hypertrophy
MR fusion biopsy in the diagnosis and decision-making of prostate cancer

Degrees:
  1. MD: Northwestern University Medical School, 2001
Honors and Awards:
  • Bodinger Stegmann Award-WSAUA, Best Tips/Tricks, 2004
  • Resident Teaching Award - Department Surgery, 2002
Residencies:
  • University of Arizona, Urology, 2003-2007
  • University of Arizona, General Surgery, 2001-2003
Board Certifications:
  • American Board of Urology, 2011

Publications

2022

Patel, S., F. M. Chaus, J. T. Funk, and C. O. Twiss, "Total Autologous Fascia Lata Sacrocolpopexy for Treatment of Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Experience in Thirty-Four Patients.", Urology, vol. 170, pp. 73-77, 2022 Dec.
Zeng, J., A. Bergersen, E. Price, M. Callegari, E. Austin, O. Oduyemi, K. Poling, C-H. Hsu, J. Funk, and C. Twiss, "Symptom Resolution and Recurrent Urinary Incontinence Following Removal of Painful Midurethral Slings.", Urology, vol. 159, pp. 78-82, 2022 Jan.

2021

Bergersen, A., E. Price, M. Callegari, E. Austin, O. Oduyemi, C-H. Hsu, J. T. Funk, and C. O. Twiss, "Pain Resolution and Recurrent Prolapse Rates Following Vaginal Mesh Removal.", Urology, vol. 150, pp. 134-138, 2021 Apr.

2020

Lwin, A. A., J. Zeng, P. Evans, M. C. Phung, K. A. Hynes, E. T. Price, C. O. Twiss, D. T. Tzou, and J. T. Funk, "Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate Is Safe and Feasible as a Same Day Surgery.", Urology, vol. 138, pp. 119-124, 2020 Apr.
Funk, J. T., "Editorial Comment.", J Urol, vol. 203, issue 2, pp. 309-310, 2020 Feb.

2019

Bergersen, A., C. Hinkel, J. Funk, and C. O. Twiss, "Management of vaginal mesh exposure: A systematic review.", Arab J Urol, vol. 17, issue 1, pp. 40-48, 2019 Mar. PMCID: PMC6583711 
Kim, S., G. R. Pollock, C. O. Twiss, and J. T. Funk, "Surgery for Posterior Compartment Vaginal Prolapse: Graft Augmented Repair.", Urol Clin North Am, vol. 46, issue 1, pp. 87-95, 2019 Feb.
Chaus, F. M., J. T. Funk, J. Pangilinan, F. C. Lin, and C. O. Twiss, "Total Autologous Fascia Lata Anterior and Apical Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair: A New Technique and Initial Experience.", Urology, 2019 Dec 26.
Arif-Tiwari, H., C. O. Twiss, F. C. Lin, J. T. Funk, S. Vedantham, D. R. Martin, and B. T. Kalb, "Improved Detection of Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Comparative Utility of Defecography Phase Sequence to Nondefecography Valsalva Maneuvers in Dynamic Pelvic Floor Magnetic Resonance Imaging.", Curr Probl Diagn Radiol, vol. 48, issue 4, pp. 342-347, 2019 Jul - Aug.
Pollock, G. R., C. O. Twiss, S. Chartier, S. Vedantham, J. Funk, and H. Arif Tiwari, "Comparison of magnetic resonance defecography grading with POP-Q staging and Baden-Walker grading in the evaluation of female pelvic organ prolapse.", Abdom Radiol (NY), 2019 Nov 12.

2018

Lin, F. C., J. T. Funk, H. Arif Tiwari, B. T. Kalb, and C. O. Twiss, "Dynamic Pelvic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation of Pelvic Organ Prolapse Compared to Physical Examination Findings.", Urology, vol. 119, pp. 49-54, 2018 Sep.
Lwin, A., D. Tzou, and J. Funk, "Response to Stutz et al. re: "Management of Suspected Bladder Injury and Capsular Perforation After Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate".", J Endourol Case Rep, vol. 4, issue 1, pp. 205, 2018. PMCID: PMC6302907 

2017

Phung, M. C., B. R. Lee, and J. T. Funk, "Percutaneous Management of a Pyocystic Fistulizing Continent Urinary Diversion.", J Endourol Case Rep, vol. 3, issue 1, pp. 162-164, 2017. PMCID: PMC5689115 
McAdams, S., J. T. Funk, A. F. Navetta, M. M. El Tayeb, and M. R. Humphreys, "Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate After Prostatic Urethral Lift Surgery: Feasibility and Technical Considerations from a Multi-Institutional Case Series.", J Endourol, vol. 31, issue 8, pp. 774-779, 2017 08.

2015

Michalak, J., D. Tzou, and J. Funk, "HoLEP: the gold standard for the surgical management of BPH in the 21(st) Century.", Am J Clin Exp Urol, vol. 3, issue 1, pp. 36-42, 2015. PMCID: PMC4446381 

2007

Phull, H., M. Salkini, T. Purves, J. Funk, D. Copeland, and C. V. Comiter, "Angiotensin II plays a role in acute murine experimental autoimmune cystitis.", BJU Int, vol. 100, issue 3, pp. 664-7, 2007 Sep.

2005

Ramakumar, S., H. Phull, T. Purves, J. Funk, D. Copeland, J. B. Ulreich, L-W. Lai, and Y-H. Howard Lien, "Novel delivery of oligonucleotides using a topical hydrogel tissue sealant in a murine partial nephrectomy model.", J Urol, vol. 174, issue 3, pp. 1133-6, 2005 Sep. PMID: 16094080