MDNews - Long Island

COVER FEATURE The Colon and Rectal Program at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center and St. Charles Hospital ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, 143,460 NEW CASES OF COLON AND RECTAL CANCER WILL BE DIAGNOSED IN 2012. THE COLON AND RECTAL PROGRAM AT ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA MEDICAL CENTER AND ST. CHARLES HOSPITAL IS DESIGNED TO CHANGE THE OUTLOOK OF COLORECTAL CANCER ON LONG ISLAND. THE BOARD-CERTIFIED COLON AND RECTAL SURGEONS — COMPLEMENTED BY A TEAM OF NURSES, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, AN OSTOMY SPECIALIST AND A WOUND CARE SPECIALIST — PROVIDE A FULL RANGE OF CONSULTATIVE, DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC SERVICES USING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND TECHNIQUES TO TREAT CONDITIONS OF THE SMALL INTESTINE, COLON AND RECTUM. T HE PROGRAM LAUNCHED at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in 2008 and, in the past year, has opened a second office at St. Charles Hospital. The sister institutions provide a vital opportunity for Long Island patients to access specialty colon and rectal surgical care in their communities, rather than commuting hours into Manhattan. Both locations offer comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for the full gamut of colon and rec- tal conditions, such as cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, with a concentration on minimally invasive surgical techniques. In addition to the two board-certified colon and rectal surgeons, the program draws on the expertise of providers from several disciplines for a multidisciplinary approach to care. "The program was initiated here because, geographically, the area needed the expertise of colorectal sur- geons. Patients who require complex surgical procedures would often have to travel into New York City for those David Rivadeneira, M.D., and Jill Genua, M.D., performing transanal endoscopic microsurgery for a rectal tumor. St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center is one of a few institutions in the region with this specialized minimally invasive equipment that allows for removal of polyps and tumors from the lower gastrointestinal tract without abdominal incisions. PHOTOS © DON DEMPSEY, WHITE LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

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