Surgery
is the oldest form of treatment for cancer. Not only does it play an
important role in diagnosing and staging (finding the extent) of cancer, it
also offers a high chance of cure for many types of cancer, especially those
that are localized (i.e. have not yet spread to other parts of the body).At V.S.Hospital, the mission of the Department of Surgical Oncology is to provide world-class surgical care to the patients with cancer. We have a team of surgical oncologists with diverse expertise in all types of cancers who provide the most up-to-date specialized care for patients suffering with cancer. This includes specialized focuses in breast cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, upper gastrointestinal malignancies, pancreatic cancers, colorectal cancers, hepatobiliary cancers, and endocrine tumors. Our surgical oncologists do not view surgical procedures in isolation. Instead, they consider each operation within the context of a treatment plan that may incorporate chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or alternative approaches before, during and after surgery. The surgeons interact on a daily basis with the other disciplines within oncology including the medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and pathologists to discuss the most appropriate treatment for patients at each stage of their disease. This combination of effort with focused expertise on each cancer provides the best chance for success in the fight against cancer.
Cancer
surgery is generally considered complicated and published data have
established that hospitals and surgeons with the highest volume experience
with specific surgeries have the lowest complication and death rates. It is
only justified that a surgeon, who performs a given operation more often,
will achieve superior results when compared with a surgeon who rarely
performs the same procedure. Recognizing the relationship between frequency
of performing an operation and outcome, each surgeon in our team of Surgical
Oncologists focuses his or her clinical practice on the management of a
limited number of diseases. This high level of focused expertise allows for
the use of specialized techniques that are appropriate for cancer patients. 
Since
the Surgical Oncology practice is physically located within the Cancer
Center, patients benefit from on-the-spot multi-disciplinary inputs into
treatment planning. Patients also benefit by the presentation and discussion
of complex cases at multidisciplinary weekly tumor board conferences. The Department of Surgical Oncology provides both inpatient and outpatient clinical services. Surgical Oncologists offer a breadth of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, including:
The
twin theatre complex at V.S.Hospital is one of the most modern and
sophisticated in the city. Steel cladded seamless walls and laminar air
conditioning aided by the latest hepa filter technology ensure sterility of
the highest order. State of the art anesthesia workstations and patient
monitoring systems with a central medical gas distribution system help
maintain extremely high safety levels. The exhaustive surgical instruments,
enormously powerful shadowless lights, highly trained theatre staff are
enviable assets to the performing surgeon. A fully equipped post-operative
ward/intensive care unit monitored round the clock by medical and
paramedical staff trained in intensive/emergency care, provides the
necessary backup for the surgical department.