Best Cancer Surgeon Virginia

Sometimes, cancer treatment involves surgery. This could be the only treatment, or part of a more comprehensive treatment plan.

Either way, if you are battling cancer and require surgery, you want to ensure that you have the best cancer surgeon in Virginia. 

Cancer Surgery

Cancer surgery removes cancerous tumors and nearby tissue in an operation. The doctor who performs these surgeries is called a surgical oncologist, or cancer surgeon.

Surgery is the oldest cancer treatment and is still a very effective treatment for many types of cancer. There are several reasons you might need cancer surgery. Including:

• To diagnose or locate cancer
• To find out if cancer has spread to or is affecting other organs 
•  To relieve side effects caused by your cancer
• To remove some or all of a cancer
• To restore the body’s appearance or function

Your surgery may be performed in a doctor’s office, surgery center, clinic, or hospital. This will depend on the type of surgery you need and how much time you will need to heal from it.

Inpatient surgery means that you will need to stay in the hospital overnight or longer to recover. On the contrary, outpatient surgery means there is no need for an overnight stay after the surgery.

Diagnostic Surgery

For most types of cancer, a biopsy is the most popular way to diagnose the cancer. A surgical biopsy involves the removal of some or all of the suspicious tissues. This may be done in two ways.

First, an incisional biopsy removes a piece of the suspicious area to study. The other option is an excisional biopsy. This removes the entire suspicious area, such a lump or mole. 

The biopsy is sent to a pathologist. This is a doctor who interprets lab tests and looks at cells, tissues, and organs to find disease. The pathologist will examine the tissue from your biopsy and send your oncologist a report to diagnose the tumor. 

Staging Surgery

Surgery can also be used to discover the size of the cancer and whether it has spread. This is often done through the removal of lymph nodes near the cancer.

These are tiny bean-shaped organs that help fight infection. Your care team will use the staging results to decide which treatment options are best for you. 

Primary Surgery

Also called curative surgery or tumor removal, this is the most common method of removing the tumor and nearby tissue. Removing the nearby healthy tissue is called the margin. Tumor removal may be the only treatment for your cancer, or it may be used in combination with other treatments like chemotherapy or radiation.  

Types of Cancer Surgery

• Debulking. In cases where removing the entire tumor is not possible, the surgeon removes as much as possible. Then, radiation or chemotherapy are used to continue to treat the cancer. These treatments may also be used prior to surgery.

• Palliation. Palliative surgery relieves side effects that are caused by a tumor. This is done to improve the patient’s quality of life. There are several types of palliative surgery. 
• Reconstruction. After the main surgery is performed to remove a tumor, some people choose to have reconstructive surgery. This is used to restore the body’s function or appearance. In some cases, it may be performed at the same time as the tumor removal surgery. 
• Prevention. Surgery may also be performed to lower the risk of getting cancer. For example, removing pre-cancerous polyps. Also, some women with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancers, or cancer genes, may choose to undergo preventative surgery to remove the breasts or ovaries.

Minimally Invasive Cancer Surgery

While cancer surgery does often involve large incisions, sometimes the surgeon can use minimally invasive techniques. This means that instead of one large incision, the procedure is done using smaller incisions. This typically speeds up recovery times and reduces pain during recovery. Below are examples of minimally invasive procedures:

• Laparoscopic Surgery. This is done using small incisions. A thin, lighted tube with a camera is inserted into one of these incisions and gives the surgeon a view. Other small surgical instruments are used to perform the procedure. This may also be done with the use of robotic assistance. 
• Laser Surgery. This involves using a narrow beam of high-intensity light to remove cancerous tissue. 
• Cryosurgery. Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze and kill abnormal cells. 
• Endoscopy. A thing, flexible tube with a light and camera on the tip is inserted into the body to examine internal organs and retrieve samples of suspicious tissue for further examination.
• Microscopically Controlled Surgery. Used in dermatology, a microscope is used to shave off a layer of skin cancer until the cells look normal.

Best Cancer Surgeon in Virginia

If you suspect that you might have cancer, or have been diagnosed with cancer and need surgery, make sure you choose the best cancer surgeon. The providers at Alagsa have the skill and experience to help you through this difficult process. Please contact us today to learn more.  

What Is Robotic Bariatric Surgery?

The surgeons at Alagsa can perform bariatric surgery using a robotic system.

This robotic bariatric surgery is much less invasive than traditional bariatric surgery because it uses small incisions in lieu of a large abdominal incision.

How It Works

Robotic bariatric surgery is performed with cutting edge technology called the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System. This is a robotic surgical assistance tool. It enables surgeons to perform bariatric surgery using computer guided, 3-D, magnified visualization. 

The surgeon maneuvers the robot through small incisions in the patient’s abdomen. The robot has four arms which correspond to the movements the surgeon makes. This allows for extremely precise movements inside the body. 

Ideal Candidates

Since the robotic system allows for increased visualization, it gives the surgeon more control over movements for severely obese patients. Severe obesity is anyone with a BMI of 40 or more or has at least 100 pounds to lose.

If you have a BMI of 35 with obesity-related health conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, you may be eligible for weight loss surgery.

Benefits of Gastric Bypass 

Since robotic bariatric surgery gives surgeons an increased view of the stomach and surrounding organs, it enables them to execute precise, controlled movements during the surgery.

Compared to conventional laparoscopic weight loss procedures, robotic bariatric surgery offers patients several potential benefits. This includes:

• Reduced pain and scarring
• Quicker recovery
• Quicker return to regular activities
• Fewer complications
• Lower risk of needing follow-up surgery
• Less trauma to the body
• Lower infection rates
• Shorter hospital stays
• Much lower rate of gastrointestinal leaks

Risks of Robotic Bariatric Surgery 

As with any other procedure, there are some risks associated with this surgery. These include:

• Dehydration
• Nutrition deficiencies
• Leaking from where bowel was cut or reconnected during surgery
• Food moving too quickly from the stomach to the small intestine.

Your doctor will discuss the risks with you and ensure that you are a good candidate for the procedure. 

Recovery

Typically, you can expect a two to three-week recovery period after robotic bariatric surgery. It is critical to rest during the recovery period as this allows the body to heal.

You should always follow your doctor’s instructions on calorie consumption during the recovery period and avoid exercise as well.

Your surgeon will collaborate with you and your weight loss team to create a comprehensive diet and exercise plan to help you achieve your weight loss goals. 

Keys to Success 

For any bariatric surgery, the patient must be committed to a lifestyle change to be successful long-term. Some of the key things to focus on are:

• Eating three balanced meals each day
• Eat protein with every meal, preferably first 
• Avoid snacking
• Drink plenty of water
• Exercise regularly 

Robotic Bariatric Surgery for You 

If diet and exercise just isn’t enough, it may be time to consider bariatric surgery. Now, it is easier than ever before to undergo surgery.

If you are interested in a less invasive option, robotic bariatric surgery may be right for you. Contact Alagsa today to learn more!

Top Corrective Bariatric Surgeon

Sometimes, after having bariatric surgery, a person may require a corrective procedure. This may be done for several reasons.

Whatever your reason, you want the top corrective bariatric surgeon to perform your procedure. 

Corrective Bariatric Surgery

People who have had a previous bariatric surgery but are regaining weight may choose to undergo corrective bariatric surgery like gastric bypass revision.

This procedure uses an endoscope, so there are no incisions or long recovery period.

Using the endoscope, the connection between the stomach pouch and the small intestines is sutured, which results in slower emptying of the stomach, earlier satiety, and more weight loss.

This also shrinks the stomach pouch, which also aids in lowering consumed calories. 

Benefits of Corrective Bariatric Surgery

There are several benefits to this procedure, including:

• It is adjustable and/or revisable
• No need for abdominal or internal surgical incisions
• Provides unique procedures for different anatomies
• Enables the surgeon to reduce the size of the stomach
• Faster recovery than open or laparoscopic surgeries
• Preserves future treatment options
• Typically, an outpatient procedure
• Essentially painless

StomaphyX 

The StomapyX device is an endoluminal fastener and delivery system that contains an ergonomic, flexible fastener delivery device and sterile polypropylene fastener implants.

It provides the strongest tissue bond and highest levels of durability. This procedure is performed on many patients and helps them improve their chances for long-term weight loss success. 

Least Invasive

Since it does not involve internal incisions or abdominal incisions, this procedure is the least invasive, has the lowest risk, and allows patient to recover more quickly and return to their normal activities.

This technique introduces the instruments through the mouth, which reduces the risk of infection from surgical incisions, preserves future treatment options, is essentially painless and requires less recovery time than open or minimally invasive procedures.

Top Corrective Bariatric Surgeon 

If you think that you may need a corrective bariatric surgery, this may be the perfect option for you. If you would like to learn more about this revolutionary technique, please contact Alagsa today!