Surgery 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.
Karmanos Specialists in
Surgery