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Surgery Division

Stephen Swisher, M.D.

Division Head

Departments, Labs and Institutes

Departments and Divisions

Surgery Division

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Surgery Division

The mission of the Surgery Division is to advance oncologic surgery in the nation and the world through safe, high-quality, multidisciplinary patient care, research and education. Our nine specialized departments provide a breadth of cancer care: Breast Surgical Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, Head and Neck Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Oncology, Plastic Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and Urology.

In Fiscal Year 2015, we performed 19,649 operations, making us the highest volume National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center individually listed in the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) clinical database. These volumes represent the culmination of a two decade-long continuous quality improvement program that was recently noted in Critical Care Medicine to have achieved a 57% less-than-expected hospital-adjusted mortality rate and a significant reduction in ICU utilization.

Our vision is to be the most transformative oncologic surgery program in the world. To do so, we are partnering with advanced surgical care in multiple Houston-area locations, including Katy, League City, Memorial City, Sugar Land and The Woodlands, and with national partners in Arizona, Florida and New Jersey.

Leadership

Stephen Swisher, M.D., was named division head of Surgery on Jan. 1, 2014. He came to MD Anderson as a cardiovascular surgery fellow in 1994. He was appointed a junior faculty associate in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in 1995 and rose through the academic ranks in that department, attaining full professor in 2005. In 2007, he was named Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery chair, , and in October 2012, he began serving as Surgery division head ad interim.

Swisher is internationally recognized for his treatment of complex lung and esophageal cancer and his clinical research integrating multimodality approaches in thoracic malignancies and evaluating novel therapeutics in the clinic. He also has helped support a standardized care pathway for esophageal and thoracic malignancies and a fast-track esophagectomy program for esophageal cancer patients.

Surgical volumes and outcomes

The graph shows FY15 data for the top 25 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers individually listed in the UHC clinical database.

Minimally Invasive New Technology in Oncologic Surgery

MINTOS seeks to identify, develop and integrate into practice effective new technologies that enhance the care of patients with cancer. MINTOS is comprised of multidisciplinary surgeons from the division. The program was established in 2006 and is led by a multidisciplinary Board of Directors in collaboration with the medical director, Surena Matin, M.D. Learn more about MINTOS.

Education

The Surgery division supports 15 surgical fellowships, which have accumulated nearly 1,000 graduates. The following fellowships are offered through our departments:

Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship
Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology
Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Fellowship
Oral Oncology Fellowship
Neurosurgical Oncology Fellowship
Musculoskeletal Oncology Fellowship
Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship
Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship
HPB Surgery Fellowship
Surgical Endocrinology Fellowship
International Surgical Oncology Fellowship
Thoracic Surgery Fellowship
Urologic Oncology Fellowship
Pelvic Reconstruction Fellowship

Research

Our researchers are changing cancer care paradigms. In their respective labs, our surgeon-scientists are discovering immune therapies and vaccines for cancer, studying genetic and targeted cancer therapies, learning the microenvironment of tumors and developing novel flaps for tissue reconstruction, to name a few. Visit the following pages to learn more about our research: