The thought of surgery may be daunting. But surgical oncology—the branch of surgery that focuses on cancer treatment—is in fact the oldest, most frequently used and most successful form of cancer therapy available today. No matter where your cancer appears, your surgical oncology team of highly trained physicians, nurses and support staff at Sutter Health is committed to providing you with personalized, state-of-the-art and low-impact options.
Surgical oncologists in the Sutter Health network have completed fellowship programs by the Society of Surgical Oncology and specialize in cancer treatment. And through the Sutter Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery (SIMIS), you’ll have access to the latest techniques, including laparoscopy, laser therapy and robot-assisted surgery, for less pain, fewer complications and faster recovery.
In 2014, Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento became the first hospital in California to use the da Vinci Xi® robotic-assisted surgical system, the newest generation of this exciting advance in cancer surgery. This technology provides a magnified, three-dimensional view of the surgery site, accessed through micro-incisions, that allows your surgeon’s hand to make extremely precise movements—particularly valuable for prostate, gynecological and kidney cancers.
More Than Surgery
Your surgical oncologist will partner with you to choose biopsy options, including lymph node biopsy, provide an expert opinion on surgery types and how much tissue should be removed, suggest procedures to ease symptoms or improve function, and work with radiology and medical oncologists to achieve the best possible outcome.
We strive to improve your experience post-surgery, too. For example, in 2015 Sutter's Mills-Peninsula Medical Center launched a pilot program, called Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), based on the American Cancer Society’s National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Starting with colorectal cancer patients, this program used evidence-based protocols to create new and better standards of surgical care. Results suggest decreased psychological stress from surgery, reduced risk of complications and shorter recovery times. We see great potential for this program to benefit all Sutter Health cancer patients.
