WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (May 14, 2015) – Surgeon Rafik El Sabrout, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCS(G), successfully performed a laparoscopic removal of a liver tumor at White Plains Hospital on April 16th as part of a multi-disciplinary team. This marks the first time a surgeon has removed this type of tumor using a fully laparoscopic procedure at White Plains Hospital. Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a thin tube to make small, precise incisions.
Dr. El Sabrout performed the procedure on an 86 year-old man, who was initially diagnosed with anal cancer in July 2014 and was successfully treated for his cancer at White Plains Hospital’s Dickstein Cancer Center. As part of his care, the man underwent a routine evaluation which revealed he also had hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), requiring him to have a tumor on the left side of his liver removed. The patient was then evaluated by a multidisciplinary team including a medical oncologist (Dr. Joshua Raff), surgeons (including Dr. El Sabrout and Dr.Harry Zemon), a gastroenterologist (Dr. Seth Gendler), and an internist (Dr. Shekhar Palekar). The OR, ICU, Nursing and Anesthesiology departments, as well as a radiologist, were also consulted and involved in planning the operation.
“The benefit of laparoscopic surgery, rather than open resection, is that it is a less invasive procedure,”Dr. El Sabrout said. “This means there is a smaller incision, less blood loss, less post-operative pain, and faster recovery time.”
The patient was able to have his tumor completely removed and left the Hospital within four days of his operation. He required no blood transfusions and only minimal pain medication following the procedure, and has since been seen at White Plains Hospital for follow-up care. The patient is doing well and has resumed all normal activities.
Dr. El Sabrout performed the first liver resection at White Plains Hospital, and since his arrival at the Hospital in 2013, has performed many liver surgeries, Whipple procedures for pancreatic cancer, and bile duct resections and reconstructions. “White Plains Hospital is pleased to be able to offer these procedures to our patients, who previously might have had to travel into the city for their surgery. Now, they can have their pre-operative evaluation, surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, and any other necessary medical procedures and follow-up care right here in White Plains,” says Dr. El Sabrout. “We are dedicated to performing more minimally invasive procedures using a team approach. This is beneficial for our patients, and makes their treatment easier and more convenient for them.”
Dr. El Sabrout received his medical degree with honors from the Cairo University Medical School in Cairo, Egypt, where he also completed a Ph.D. in surgery. Prior to joining White Plains Hospital in 2013, he was a surgeon at Westchester Medical Center, where he also served as the Director of both the Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Programs. Dr. El Sabrout is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
For questions about this laparoscopic surgery at White Plains Hospital and referrals to Dr. El Sabrout, please call 914-948-1000.
About White Plains Hospital:
White Plains Hospital (WPH) is a 292-bed not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of providing exceptional acute and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. Centers of Excellence include the Dickstein Cancer Center, The William & Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal & Maternity Center and The Ruth and Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center. The Hospital’s Flanzer Emergency Department is the busiest in Westchester County, seeing over 55,000 visits a year. White Plains Hospital is the only community hospital in Westchester County to perform lifesaving emergency & elective angioplasty in its Joan and Alan Herfort, M.D. Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. The Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission and earned its recognition as a Top Performer for Key Quality Measures® in 2013. The Hospital is also an eleven-time winner of the Consumer Choice Award, an honor given to the nation’s top hospitals by the National Research Corporation, and received Magnet® designation in 2012 from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). In 2014 White Plains Hospital received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades®, given to only 5% of hospitals nationwide. White Plains Hospital is a member of the Montefiore Health System. For additional information, visit http://www.wphospital.org.