Surgical Oncology & Minimally Invasive Surgical Oncology Services
The Cancer Center at El Camino Hospital now encompasses a med-surg-oncology floor with 100% ONS certified registered nurses, an infusion center with eighteen chairs, an option for radiation oncology with a cyberknife, linear accelerators, brachytherapy services, and suites equipped with four da Vinci surgical robots. We offer comprehensive cancer care for surgical oncology and minimally invasive surgical oncology services as well as advanced general and laparoscopic surgery services. Our surgical oncology and minimally invasive surgical oncology services range from treating many different types of cancers such as breast cancer and colon cancer as well as advanced and general laparoscopic surgery services such as treating everything from appendicitis to gallbladder disease. Please see below for more information regarding our surgical services:
Breast Cancer
Evaluation and management of abnormal mammograms and suspicious masses, breast conservation therapy, skin-sparing mastectomy, sentinel lymph node mapping, axillary lymph node dissection.
More Info: Breast cancer is a disease that can occur when cells in the breast begin to grow exponentially. While there are many different forms of breast cancer, the type of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast turn cancerous. While breast cancer can occur in many parts of the breast it’s important to note that the breast is made up of three main parts including the lobules, ducts, and connective tissue. The lobules are the glands in the breast that produce milk while the ducts are tubes that carry milk to the nipple. The connective tissue which is made up of fibrous and fatty tissue hold and keeps everything in place. Most commonly breast cancers start in either the ducts or the lobus though they can also spread outside of the breast are by way of blood vessels and lymph vessels. If breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, the cancer is said to have metastasized.
colon Cancer
Open and laparoscopic resections, sphincter-sparing rectal surgery, total mesorectal excision.
More Info: Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer and colon cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum which are components of the large intestine. Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel movements, weight loss, and feeling tired all the time. Typical treatment involves surgical removal of the tumor followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. For rectal cancer, radiation therapy may be used with chemotherapy before or after surgery, along with adjuvant chemotherapy.
Esophagus Cancer
Resection of primary tumors of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction.
More Info: Cancer that forms in the esophagus is known as esophageal cancer. The function of the esophagus is to assist in moving the food you eat from the back of your throat to your stomach so that it can be digested properly. Esophageal cancer usually begins in the cells that line the inside of the esophagus and is much more common in male cancer patients than in female cancer patients. Currently, esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths across the world through these instances vary from region to region.
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Resection of tumors of the stomach, small bowel, colon, open and laparoscopic.
More Info: Gastrointestinal cancer is a cancer that affects the digestive system, also known as the GI tract, and can include many different areas of the body’s digestive system including, but not limited to, cancers of the liver, stomach, pancreas, oesophagus, gallbladder, biliary tract, small intestine, bowel, and anus. Medical treatment for gastrointestinal cancers can vary, depending on the form of cancer. While some therapies are designed to kill cancer cells; others aim to stop the cancer cells from growing, attack their abnormalities, or decrease the chance of them returning.
Melanoma (Skin Cancer)
Primary excision and sentinel node mapping, lymph node dissection.
More Info: Melanoma is cancer that affects the cells in the skin and is the most serious form of skin cancer. One of the first signs of melanoma is a visible change in the feel, color, or shape of a mole on the skin that also may appear to have a darkened, black or bluish area. Melanoma can also appear as a new mole entirely, and surgery is typically the first treatment option for all stages of melanoma. Additional treatments can include chemotherapy and radiation as well as targeted therapy.
Endocrine
Resection of the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pancreatic masses, pelvic malignancies including GIST tumors, retroperitoneal sarcoma.
More Info: Endocrine cancers are those found in tissues of the endocrine system, which includes the thyroid, adrenal, pancreas, parathyroid, and pituitary glands. Endocrine surgery is a series of surgical subspecialties focusing on surgery of the endocrine glands, including the thyroid gland, the parathyroid glands, the adrenal glands, glands of the endocrine pancreas, and some neuroendocrine glands.
Pelvic malignancies
Including GIST tumors, retroperitoneal sarcoma.
Hepatobiliary
Resection of tumors of the liver, bile ducts and pancreas
More Info: Hepatobiliary cancers are commonly referred to as primary malignancies, that can develop in the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile duct which are known as the hepatobiliary and pancreatic system. Typically, surgery to treat these cancers is can be performed by using minimally invasive surgery techniques and procedures such as removal of the distal lower stomach with the Whipple procedure, anti-reflux surgery for the gastrointestinal system, removal of part of the pancreas, removal of the gallbladder and reconstruction of the bile duct, and a liver transplant and liver resection which can remove all or part of the liver.
Liver
Resection of primary liver tumors as well as a metastatic disease to the liver, radiofrequency ablation, hepatic artery infusion pumps.
More Info: Liver cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the tissues of the liver. These tissues are located in the upper right area of the abdomen which is located below the diaphragm and above the stomach area. Common causes of liver cancer are related to the digestion of harmful substances such as too much alcohol, drugs, and fatty or unhealthy foods, which prevent the liver from carrying out many of its nearly five hundred functions. While although a healthy liver can regenerate itself, if this excess continues over several years, the liver can permanently damages leading to a condition known as cirrhosis.
Venous Access
Mediports, Groshongs, Hickman catheters for chemotherapy.
More Info: Venous access is a technique used to access the bloodstream of a cancer patient through the veins. This procedure can be done for a number of reasons, most commonly to administer intravenous therapy in the form of medication or fluids, parenteral nutrition, or with the goal of collecting blood for analysis. Venous access may also be carried out to obtain treatments such as dialysis or apheresis. One of the most well-known forms of venous access is a peripheral venous cannula which is usually inserted in the hands or forearms.
Advanced General & Laparoscopic Surgery Services
Anorectal Disease
Hemorrhoids, abscess, fissure, fistula, and prolapse.
More Info: Anorectal disease is a disease that includes physically painful conditions or infections that affect the anal region. These can be socially frustrating and even affect one’s own comfort and well being. Common anorectal areas that are infected include, but are not limited to, hemorrhoids, abscess, fissure, fistula, and prolapse. Depending on the diagnosis, a patient may need to have a physical examination that could include an examination of the lower part of the colon, rectum, and anus using a small scope. Additionally, more information can be obtained through various blood tests, ultrasounds, CT scan, or MRI’s.
Appendicitis
Hemorrhoids, abscess, fissure, fistula, and prolapse.
More Info: Anorectal disease is a disease that includes physically painful conditions or infections that affect the anal region. These can be socially frustrating and even affect one’s own comfort and well being. Common anorectal areas that are infected include, but are not limited to, hemorrhoids, abscess, fissure, fistula, and prolapse. Depending on the diagnosis, a patient may need to have a physical examination that could include an examination of the lower part of the colon, rectum, and anus using a small scope. Additionally, more information can be obtained through various blood tests, ultrasounds, CT scan, or MRI’s.
Breast Disease benign
Lumpectomy.
More Info: Benign breast diseases are the opposite of malignant ones in that they are non-cancerous diseases. Many benign breast diseases can be diagnosed with a simple breast examination, an ultrasound, or a mammogram. More complex conditions may require a breast biopsy in order to ensure there are no cancerous changes in the breast. Some physicians may suggest removing fibroadenomas and atypical hyperplasia by way of a surgical procedure similar to a lumpectomy that’s called an excisional breast biopsy. Benign breast disease usually does not require mastectomy, or surgical breast removal, unless a biopsy reveals more extensive cancerous changes to the area.
Colon Disease benign
Fistulas, intestinal obstructions, laparoscopic, subtotal colectomy, proctocolectomy, and ileostomy.
More Info: Colon disease is a non-cancerous tumor of the colon or rectum that does not spread to other parts of the body. The most common benign tumors of the colon or rectum are known as polyps and are usually attached to the lining of the rectum and can be treated with simple non-invasive surgery procedures.
Diverticular Disease
Bowel resection with primary anastomosis and bowel resection with colostomy.
More Info: Diverticular disease, is the name given to a common condition when small bulges, also known as diverticula, or sacs begin to form in the wall of the large intestine, commonly known as the colon. While although these sacs can form anywhere in the colon, they most commonly affect the sigmoid colon which is a part of the large intestine that is near the rectum. Common minimally invasive surgery procedures include bowel resection with primary anastomosis and bowel resection with colostomy.
Gallbladder Disease
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy or Laparoscopic Gallbladder Removal.
More Info: Gallbladder disease is a disease that affects the gallbladder, an organ located beneath your liver with the primary function of storing bile, the yellow substance that helps you digest fats. The most common type of gallbladder disease is gallstones, also known as cholelithiasis though there are many other forms of the disease such as gallbladder inflammation, also known as cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia, functional gallbladder disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and gallbladder cancer.
Heartburn, Reflux, GERD
Laparoscopic antireflux surgery.
More Info: Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a digestive disorder that affects the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach. Many people, including pregnant women, suffer from heartburn or acid indigestion caused by GERD. There are many treatments for heartburn, reflux, and GERD that ranges from over-the-counter remedies to surgery.
Pancreatitis
Laparoscopic surgery
More Info: Pancreatitis is a common disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed. Pancreatic damage occurs when the digestive enzymes in the pancreas are activated before they are released into the small intestine and start to attack the pancreas. There are two main forms of pancreatitis which include acute and chronic pancreatitis.
Misc Masses, Lipomas
Excision
More Info: Lipomas typically occur in the thighs are benign, soft tissue masses that are fatty and non-cancerous. Lipomas are most commonly situated between the skin and the underlying muscle layer of the thigh. While most of the time, lipomas do not need to be treated, if the lipoma becomes a cosmetic issue or becomes uncomfortable non-invasive surgery may be performed, such as excision.