Surgical Oncology

We believe it’s extremely important that you are comfortable at all times during your treatment at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). This is especially true in our Surgical Oncology Department at CTCA at Southwestern Regional Medical Center.

We do everything we can to help lessen any anxiety you may have about the idea of undergoing surgery. We do this by providing TLC (tender loving care), listening to you, responding to your needs and keeping you and your family well informed and educated about your procedure.

Attentiveness to You & Your Needs

Robyn Yackell, RN, CNOR, Surgical Services Manager at Southwestern Regional Medical Center, says her department prides itself on how much it cares for each patient who passes through its doors. She believes the level of care and all around compassion her team provides is incredibly different from the standard of care provided at most hospitals.

Yackell emphasizes, “Here it’s different because we really do care about every patient. We take the whole patient into consideration and what needs they have.”

“In a typical operating room (OR), most of the time, if patients come to surgery, they don’t know who their nurses are, they don’t remember them, and they never see them again after that, unless they come back,” explains Yackell. “Our scrub techs come out and they introduce themselves to patients. That way, the patients know who’s going to be helping their doctor.”

More so, Yackell says that a member of the surgical team (e.g., nurse, surgical technician) visits patients who undergo surgery and are hospitalized, before and after their procedures.

“We go up to their room and just see how they’re doing and let them know that we’re thinking about them,” she says.

All the while, Yackell says the team is always interacting with caregivers to let them know what’s going on and are available to answer any questions.

Our Talented Team

Our highly skilled, patient-focused team includes nearly 40 staff members—surgeons, nurses, surgical technicians, anesthesiologists and more.

Yackell says of surgical oncologist Dr. Pierre Greeff, “He simply does everything he possibly can to try to help his patients.”

Other key physicians in our department include Dr. Michael Thomas, general surgeon.

Additionally, the Surgical Oncology Department often collaborates with Dr. Daniel Nader, Director of Southwestern Regional Medical Center’s Lung Center, with interventional pulmonology procedures.

Experience Matters

Every month, we perform approximately 200 surgical procedures. Common procedures include endoscopies (for GI-related cancers), bronchoscopies (for lung cancer) and port placements for chemotherapy treatment. Insertion of brachytherapy catheters for radiation therapy is another surgery we frequently perform. We also perform extensive procedures, such as surgery on abdominal and thoracic organs.

Yackell says some patients may be in a very fragile state, particularly, if they are suffering from a stage III or IV cancer. She assures that the surgical team offers extra special attention to these patients.

If Surgery Is a Treatment Option for You…

Upon your first visit to Southwestern Regional Medical Center, you’ll meet with a surgeon and his or her nurse. At that time, you’ll discuss all of your surgical treatment options. If you decide to go ahead with a procedure, the physician’s nurse will schedule the surgery, as well as a preoperative (preop) visit. The process goes quickly from there.

“It’s quicker here than at most hospitals,” says Yackell. “A patient can go from seeing a physician to having surgery within two days. If it’s an urgent surgery, they can have the surgery that day or the next day.”

Before surgery, you’ll have a preop visit with a nurse, who will tell you all about the perioperative experience (i.e., what you may go through before, during and after your surgery). The nurse will also let you know if you need any tests done prior to your surgery, such as a blood test, electrocardiogram (EKG) or chest X-ray. Your nurse will encourage you to ask questions and talk about any concerns you may have.

In addition, after the preop visit, you may also meet with an anesthesiologist, if you are going to receive any type of anesthesia other than nurse-administered anesthesia (i.e., conscious sedation). Drs. Mark Axness, Gordon Robson and Christopher Schmidt are our anesthesiologists. They are all board certified in anesthesiology.

The following day, you will come into the hospital for your surgery. You’ll be admitted to the holding area, where nurses continue the education process, set your IV and provide any medications you will need before your surgery.

From there, you will go to the intraoperative area, where the actual surgery is performed. A registered nurse is always in charge of that room. Surgical scrub techs are on hand to assist the physician. For example, they may pass the surgical instruments to the surgeon. An anesthesiologist is also present during procedures that require an anesthetic medication to be administered.

Once surgery is complete, you’ll be moved into a recovery room. Yackell explains that there are two phases of recovery. In phase 1 (the immediate, postoperative phase), we make sure that your pain is under control and your vital signs are stable.

Then, depending on whether your surgery requires you to be hospitalized, once you reach certain criteria, you will be moved to the inpatient ward or intensive care unit (ICU), or to a phase 2 recovery room, if you undergo outpatient surgery. If you are sent to the phase 2 recovery room, nurses will follow your progress, making sure you take and retain fluids and that your pain is still under control. They also make sure you have ample time to wake up before you are discharged from the hospital.

Want to Learn More?

If you’re interested in discovering more about the Surgical Oncology Department, take the official, interactive tour. Every Monday (except holidays) at 4:30 p.m., the department offers a tour of the OR that is open to patients, caregivers and staff. You will not see an actual surgery performed, but you will have an opportunity to see the setup of the room, as well as touch some of the surgical instruments and equipment we use. Registered nurses provide the tour and answer any questions you may have.