Surgery

In cancer care, surgical procedures are used to diagnose, stage and treat the disease and some of the symptoms it causes. You need the right surgery by an experienced, highly trained team. You’ll find both at the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute, which performed more than 7,000 procedures from 2017-20.

About 60 percent of people with cancer will have some kind of surgery. Sometimes, it is the only treatment needed. Other times, surgery is combined with other measures such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiation to help prevent the cancer from growing, spreading or coming back.

To determine if surgery is right for you, your team will look at the type of cancer you have, the size and location of the tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as your general health.

Our surgeons hold weekly collaborative meetings with a variety of specialists to discuss treatment plans, protocols and clinical trials. Their participation in clinical trials offered through our membership in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance gives our patients access to the latest advancements in care.

Our surgical team has expertise in multiple procedures, treating these cancers:

• Adrenal
• Bladder
• Breast, including the highly-specialized Hidden Scar Surgery, breast reconstruction surgery, lumpectomy and mastectomy
• Colorectal
• Esophageal
• Gastric
• Gynecologic, including total hysterectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy and fertility preservation surgery
• Hepatobiliary
• Kidney
• Liver
• Lung
• Neuro-oncology
• Pancreatic, including the advanced technique known as Whipple surgery
• Penile
• Prostate
• Testicular
• Thoracic

Types of Cancer Surgery

• Curative surgery: Removes the cancerous tissue. This is best for cancers contained in one place that haven’t spread to other parts of the body. It is usually followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy to make sure all cancerous cells were removed.
• Minimally-invasive surgery: A skilled approach to removing cancerous tumors by surgeons with advance training who use state-of-the-art equipment, including surgical robots. Small incisions mean less risk and faster recovery times.
• Preventive or prophylactic surgery: Helps keep cancer from occurring. The most common example is the removal of precancerous polyps from the colon during a colonoscopy, which can prevent colon cancer.
• Staging surgery: Helps your oncology team understand the extent of your cancer. This can be done by taking tissue samples for analysis.
• Reconstructive surgery: After cancer treatment, when needed, to return your body to near-normal appearance or function. The most common type is breast reconstruction surgery after breast removal.
• Supportive surgery: Available to help with other treatments, such as inserting a port under the skin for chemotherapy.
• Palliative surgery: Eases pain caused by advanced or untreatable cancer, improving quality of life.

Minimally-Invasive Surgery

When possible, we opt for minimally-invasive procedures. The surgeon performs the same procedure as in traditional surgery but through smaller incisions using advanced technology and special instruments, including surgical robots.

This means less bleeding, less scarring, less postoperative pain and a shorter hospital stay. You also recover and return to normal activities faster. Your provider will talk with you about the best procedure based on your diagnosis.

Our focus is always on curing your cancer, and sometimes minimally-invasive techniques are not the best option.

Your cancer team might suggest combining surgery with chemotherapy or radiation as the most effective way to remove all of the cancerous cells.

Advanced Treatment

Another innovative way to give chemotherapy is called Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC). This newer approach is designed for people with certain types of Stage IV abdominal cancers, such as colorectal and gynecologic.

In the operating room, specially-trained surgical oncologists remove the cancerous tumors from the abdomen. They then deliver HIPEC directly into the abdominal cavity to target any remaining cancer cells that are too small to see.

The high concentration of warm chemo in HIPEC can be more effective than conventional treatment. It is also given in one dose versus multiple visits and causes fewer side effects