Y-90 Radiotherapy
 
Y-90 radiotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure done by a specialized interventional radiologist to treat cancer of the liver.  This is a doctor who specializes in procedures that use x-rays to guide their work.  The Y-90 radiotherapy procedure is done by accessing an artery through a catheter tube inserted for the procedure.  Millions of tiny radioactive beads are injected directly into the arteries that carry the blood supply to the tumor.  The Y-90 beads stay in the blood vessels around your tumor and emit very strong radiation for about 10 days directly to the tumor.  Even after the beads are no longer radioactive, the beads will still work for several months to kill the tumor.  They do this by blocking the flow of blood and oxygen to the tumor.  There will be very little effect on the healthy parts of your liver or other surrounding tissues.  

 
Robotic Surgery – Da Vinci surgical System
Deaconess uses the da Vinci® Xi surgical system for performing minimally-invasive procedures at Deaconess Gateway Hospital and The Women’s Hospital. This surgical system uses robotic arms equipped with long, skinny surgical instruments, along with an endoscopic camera, that enter the patient's abdomen or chest via relatively small incisions. This method provides a magnified, 3-D view of the surgical site and helps the surgeon operate with precision, flexibility and control.   
Although this robotic system contains the most advanced instrumentation, vision and features available, it doesn’t operate independently. Your surgeon performs surgery with da Vinci by using instruments that he or she guides via a console.

Potential benefits of robotic surgery include less pain, lower risk of infection, faster recovery, less scarring, fewer blood transfusions, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker return to normal daily activity.


 Mohs Surgery
 
Mohs surgery is a microscopically controlled surgery used to treat both common and rare types of skin cancer.  Mohs surgery is a highly specialized outpatient procedure done by a doctor that specializes in dermatology.  Mohs is a multi-step procedure that involves precise removal of very thin layers of the skin to remove a lesion.  Mohs surgery is considered the most effective technique for treating many basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas.  Mohs removes the skin cancer while preserving healthy tissue surrounding the area.
 

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection
If you have a tumor or a lesion within the lining of your gastrointestinal tract, your doctor may recommend removing it with a procedure called endoscopic submucosal dissection. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a flexible, tube-like tool called an endoscope to remove precancerous and cancerous areas in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. “Submucosal” means this procedure targets tumors located under the lining of the GI tract (mucosa). These tumors can be close to muscle tissue and can be difficult to remove completely with other methods.

Gastroenterologists (doctors specially trained to treat the GI tract) perform this procedure. Depending on where in the GI tract the tumor is located, the doctor will insert the endoscope through the mouth for upper GI tumors or through the anus for lower GI tumors. ESD is typically an outpatient procedure, and most people go home the same day.

Only a few centers in the United States perform ESD because the procedure requires a high degree of expertise and precision.  Deaconess Clinic Gastroenterology offers this as a treatment option.

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
Hyperthermic IntraPeritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an advanced chemotherapy treatment. This type of treatment is an option for patients with cancer located in the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity. HIPEC delivers a heated chemotherapy solution straight to the abdominal cavity. This is done after a surgeon has removed all visible tumors.