Surgical Services

The surgical services department houses the division of Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology and Division of Gynaecological Oncology. The department is a specialized field of medicine that focuses on the surgical management of cancer. It involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of various types of cancer through surgical procedures.

The department started as the Division of Surgical Oncology, which was the first of its kind in Kerala, established in 1983 to provide state of the art in surgical care to oncology patients. Our team of experienced surgeons have a diverse expertise in a variety of surgical techniques, ranging from traditional open surgery to minimally invasive procedures such as laparoscopy or robotic surgery, microvascular surgery, reconstructive surgery etc. With the expansion of the division, the highly focused site-wise specialised surgeons organised into three divisions under the department of surgical services, namely

I. Division of Head and Neck Surgery

II. Division of Surgical Oncology

• Breast and Sarcoma Unit
• Chest and Gastro Unit
• Uro-onco and Skin malignancies

III. Division of Gynaecological Oncology

Recognizing the relationship between frequency of performing an operation and outcome, the department of surgical services has four working units attached to corresponding clinics of RCC, namely

• Head & Neck Surgery (B and G clinic)
• Breast & Sarcoma (A and C clinic)
• Chest & Gastro (E clinic)
• Gynaecological Oncology, Uro-Oncology & Skin Malignancies (D clinic)

Each surgeon in each of the units focuses his or her clinical practice on the management of cancers of one or two organ sites. The vast experience of conducting more than 3000 major surgical procedures annually has significantly improved the technical excellence, in turn leading to improved surgical outcomes and quality of life for the patients.

The department provides specialized care focusing on head and neck cancers including skull base tumours, breast cancer, gastrointestinal malignancies including hepatobiliary cancers, gynaecological cancers, urological cancers, and bone & soft tissue tumours. We perform palliative surgeries to relieve symptoms or improve quality of life in advanced cases. We do auxiliary procedures for the treatment of cancer, like placement of devices, ports, or catheters for chemotherapy administration.

• Composite resections for head and neck cancers with reconstruction using microvascular free flaps/regional flaps are routinely done
• Micro-laryngeal surgeries and Laser surgeries for Laryngeal cancers, Endoscopic sinus surgeries and endoscopic skull base surgeries are done on a regular basis
• Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the country; surgical removal of breasts can be traumatic to any woman. At RCC, surgeons are sensitive enough to not only conserve but also reconstruct breasts using flaps or implants alongside mastectomy. Breast reconstructions are done immediately or delayed. We perform the state of art Sentinel lymph node biopsies for cancers of the breast wherever indicated.
• Surgeries for cancers of lung, oesophagus, stomach and colorectum are done with minimally invasive technique
• Hepatopancreatic-biliary surgeries like Whipple’s Procedures, Hepatectomies and Pancreatectomies are done on a regular basis
• RCC offers sophisticated surgeries for renal tumours and urinary bladder cancer like laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, Laparoscopic Radical Cystectomies, etc.
• Surgeries for advanced gynaecological malignancies, like minimally invasive surgeries for endometrium including laparoscopic para-aortic lymph node dissections and sentinel lymph node biopsies, peritonectomies and multivisceral resections for cancers of ovary and peritoneal surface malignancies, as well as LEEP procedures for precancerous lesions of cervix are available.
• Our surgical expertise extends to limb salvage procedures for bone and soft tissue tumours of extremities
• The department harbours many ultra-modern surgical equipment like 3D laparoscopy, Laparoscopic NIR camera, CUSA, Operating Microscope, Vessel Sealing Energy devices, Intra-operative ultrasonography, mediastinoscopy, etc.
• The department is all set to start Robotic Surgeries and HIPEC shortly

The Division offers a variety of training programmes in surgical oncology which include

In addition to this, training in onco-surgery is given to post graduates in general surgery, obstetrics & gynaecology, oral & maxilla facial surgery from various medical colleges across the country.

The department has an active research programme with participation in a multitude of multi-centre national & international clinical trials aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Our expert surgeons go beyond the operating room with a crucial role in cancer care by working closely with other specialists to develop comprehensive treatment plans for patients, which may involve a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies.

Overall, surgical services department plays a vital role in the multidisciplinary approach to cancer care, aiming to provide the best possible surgical treatment for cancer patients while considering their overall well-being and quality of life.

Surgical Services Team »