Philadelphia -Help with best surgeon

Marion,

Thank you for responding I agree with what you said it depends on the skills of the surgeon, which I do believe Dr. Kato has after doing so much research on him. The surgeon, my mom’s first opinion, I truly do not believe is a skilled surgeon doing complex surgeries-especially the complexity of the liver. I find this as I was told by another surgeon who is CA that the surgeon she went to does mostly pancreatic. Of course that is a surgery but does not have all the complexities that the liver as with veins, etc. Another reason why I know he is not the right surgeon for her is that her main Oncologist said that he will only refer to another surgeon within the University of Pennsylvania and if her first opinion surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Drebin, who no one seems to know on this forum, doesn’t feel he can do the surgery after her scans that will be done the last week in April than he could see if another surgeon, who is a more aggressive liver surgeon, Dr. Douglas Fraker would do it. However, he doubts he will since they are colleagues. So, right then and there I know that he is not the one, neither of them are and Dr. Kato has the experience with the liver, has done the complex surgeries, reviewed her scans after her first round of chemo and said he could do the surgery then, so he will have all her new scans when she goes and sees him in person on the 9th of May.

I know so many people think of the University of PA as a top hospital but it is quite amazing how it is not even mentioned by anyone in the forum. (I know of it because I live in Philadelphia.)

Thanks,
Jennifer

Marion
In my readings on the board I did not see anyone that had a resection when the tumor was near the vena cava or part in right n part in left love. Have u seen it? I have spoken to Dr. Yuman Fong who is now at the City of Hope in CA that is how I found Dr.Kato in NY. Dr. Fong said that no matter where the tumor is located even near the vena cava it can be resected as they have come along way over the past year/s in surgeries for CC. Dr. Kato reviewed Her scans that were blurry to him and he said he could resect so consult May 9th with Dr. Kato.

Curious of what u have learned about resections n near the vena cava.

Thank you so much, Marion for posting this web presentation by Dr. Tomoako Kato. I read so much about him and was feeling he was surgeon for my mom and this confirms it even more knowing that you had his presentation on here.

I emailed a month or more ago and he emailed me back and I sent him my mom’s scans and he said he can do the resection. I am going to schedule the appointment for last week in April or the first week in May since she needs to have her last 2 chemo treatments and then repeat scans the last week in April.

He is an unbelievable surgeon from just reading about him. He is the only doctor that someone has recognized on this board of all the ones I mentioned.

Thank you, Thank you!

Thank you,
Jennifer