Leading Center of Excellence
The UCSF Medical Center is among the top ten (10) hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S. News & World Report annual survey.
Expertise in Complex Cases
Gastrointestinal surgeons at UCSF are known for their willingness to treat high-risk patients including those routinely turned down for surgery at other institutions. Patients frequently seek second opinions from our surgeon. UCSF also offers a wide array of surgical options often not available in a community setting.
Comprehensive State-of-the-Art Pain Management
UCSF's Pain Management Team provides 24/7, around-the-clock post-surgical pain management including epidural anesthesia, a service available at UCSF, but not at many community hospitals in the region.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
UCSF surgeons were among those who helped pioneer laparoscopic or minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery. Instead of the large incisions of traditional open procedures, surgeons operating laparoscopically make three small 1-inch incisions and insert a laparoscope, a lighted tube and video camera, and operate using miniaturized specially manufactured surgical instruments.The camera transmits images of the operative field back to a computer monitor, guiding the surgeons as they manipulate the instruments. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery are:
- Less post-operative pain
- Reduced risk of Infection
- Shorter hospital stays
- More rapid return to normal activities
These surgeries are highly complex and require many hour of advanced training and experience. UCSF is a high volume center for laparoscopic gastrointestinal procedures, one of the leaders in the region.
The Latest in Surgical Innovation
- Arterial infusion chemotherapy
- Liver-sparing surgical techniques
Clinical Trials
UCSF offers patients access to a broad menu of clinical trials for the most promising new therapies. Our physicians are members of the leading cooperative groups including Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and serve as Principal Investigators on innovative studies.
Tumor Board Conference
The tumor board plays a critical
role in multidisciplinary cancer care at
UCSF. Here, complex and difficult
cases are reviewed by the entire team of health
professionals.
Low Operative Mortality and Fewer Complications
UCSF is a high volume referral center for gastrointestinal surgeries for Northern California for and the western U.S. Published studies show that when complex surgeries such as for advanced cancers are performed at high volume medical centers, patient mortality and complications are significantly less.