Surgical Oncology

Surgical Oncology at Karmanos

Surgery is the physical removal of a cancerous tumor and a small amount of surrounding normal tissue, called the "margins." Not all cancer patients need surgery.

Why is surgery performed in cancer patients?

To remove cancerous cells or tissue from the body
To reduce the size of the tumor
To relieve symptoms that may be caused by the cancer

What are the risks or complications with surgery?

There are possible risks and complications with any procedure. Those associated with surgery can be due to medications such as anesthesia, a change in normal body functions due to handling of vital organs, or infection. The most common complications include:

Bleeding
Blood clot
Decreased bowel function
Infection
Other complications are specific to the area of operated
Pain in the area of surgery
Pneumonia/other respiratory difficulties

Your surgeon will discuss the risks with you in detail once it is determined that surgery is the appropriate treatment for your particular type of cancer.

Types of Surgical Oncology Procedures

Gastrectomy with extended lymph node dissection
Robotically assisted and laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery
Anal sphincter-preserving rectal cancer surgery
Prophylactic total colectomy for genetic syndromes
Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumor surgery, including primary tumor resection, extended lymph node dissection, and hepatic metastasectomy/debulking/ablation
Whipple procedure and other complex pancreatic cancer operations
Liver resection and ablation for primary and metastatic tumors
Resection of abdominal and retroperitoneal sarcomas
All aspects of melanoma surgery, including wide excision with primary flap reconstruction without skin grafting, sentinel node biopsy, lymphadenectomy, and metastasectomy when appropriate

Minimally invasive robotic surgery for uterine malignancies and low-volume ovarian disease
Single-incision laparoscopic surgery for prophylactic oophorectomy and other indications
Extensive upper abdominal and pelvic tumor debulking surgery for advanced-stage gynecologic malignancy
Secondary cytoreductive surgery for recurrent gynecologic malignancy
Intraperitoneal port placement and IP chemotherapy administration

Robotic lung resection - lobectomy, segmentectomy
Lung sleeve resections
Robotic mediastinal tumor resection — mediastinal masses, thymectomy
Mesothelioma treatment — pleurectomy for early-stage disease and extrapleural pneumonectomy for advanced-stage disease
Esophagectomy — transhiatal
- Less invasive esophageal resection technique
Robotic myotomy for achalasia
Navigational bronchoscopy, EBUS
Cryo and laser ablation of obstructing tracheal and bronchial tumors
Tracheal resection for stenosis or malignancy
Stent placement - tracheal/bronchial, esophageal obstruction

Adrenal cancer
- Laparoscopic or robotic adrenalectomy
Kidney cancer
- Complex robotic partial nephrectomy (perihilar or endophytic tumors)
- Cytoreductive nephrectomy
- Vena cava tumor thrombectomy
- Robotic nephroureterectomy
Bladder Cancer
- Robotic cystoprostatectomy or anterior exenteration, extended pelvic lymph node dissection, and intracorporeal urinary diversion
- Salvage cystoprostatectomy/exenteration
Prostate Cancer
- Salvage prostatectomy
- Salvage cryoablation of prostate
Testis Cancer
- Primary and post-chemo retroperitoneal lymph node dissection
Penile/urethral Cancer
- Superficial and deep inguinal lymph node dissection

View All

Find Surgical Treatment Near You

Karmanos Cancer Institute
Surgical Oncology