Cancer Treatment Surgery on the Gulf Coast

Surgery is one of the most common treatments for cancer and is focused on removing the cancerous tissue from the body. Infirmary Cancer Care’s surgeons take pride in providing the best surgical cancer care possible.

Call us today for more information about surgical cancer treatments.

Surgical Treatment

Classified as a local treatment, surgery is designed to remove cancer from the affected part of the body. Since surgery seeks to remove infected tissue, it is used only for these types of cancers and not blood cancers. Surgery can be used to eliminate the whole tumor, “debulk” a tumor so that a major part of the cancer is removed or alleviate cancer symptoms by removing part of the tumor. If all the cancer is not removed through surgery, then this is usually the first part of the treatment process as other treatments are applied.

The Surgical Process

If you and your doctor determine that surgery is the right treatment for your cancer, they will guide you through the preparation process to ensure that you are ready for the surgery. Follow your doctor’s instructions as to what tests to receive, whether to eat or drink and how to prepare for recovery before you arrive for your surgery. Some of this process will be dictated by the type of surgery you are having, the type of cancer being removed and whether the surgery is an open surgery or minimally invasive. At Infirmary Cancer Care, our team will walk you through the surgical prep process so that you can feel confident walking into the procedure.

Your physician will also walk you through the process of the actual procedure. The most common types of surgeries are those in which a doctor uses a scalpel to conduct the surgery. These types of surgery include open surgery and minimally invasive surgery. Open surgery occurs when a large incision is made through the skin and muscle to reach and remove the tumor or cancerous tissue. In these types of surgeries, healthy flesh and lymph nodes surrounding the diseased tissue will often be removed as well to ensure that the disease does not reoccur. Minimally invasive surgery occurs when a surgeon makes small cuts and uses a laparoscope to guide the procedure as they use specialized, small tools to remove the cancer.

Some surgeries do not require the surgeon to cut open the treatment area. These types of procedures include:

Cryosurgery: The use of extreme cold to kill and freeze off the cancerous tissue.
Laser surgery: The use of lasers to destroy tumors while cauterizing the wound quickly and precisely at the same time. This type of surgery allows for precision that most surgeons cannot attain by hand.
Hyperthermia surgery: The use of heat to destroy cancer cells in the tissue.

Usually, the use of anesthesia will prevent you from feeling pain during the procedure.

After the procedure, the body will begin the healing process. While side effects include pain at the wound site and limited mobility while the wound heals, your doctor will guide you through the best recovery process. After the surgery is over, your physician will conduct further diagnostics and screening to determine if the cancer has been eliminated and what the next stage of the treatment process should be.

Types of Cancers Treated by Surgery

Infirmary Cancer Care uses surgery in the treatment of:

Is Surgery Right for You?

There are many different types of surgical procedures used to treat cancer depending on the type and aggressiveness of the cancer. Discuss your options with one of our Infirmary Cancer Care specialists to determine which option is right for you.