MDNews - Long Island

oncolog y eva luation can a lso be expe- dited if needed." " It 's a t ea m ef for t i n t h at sen se," Dr. K im adds. " The question is what steps will we ta ke? Is our goa l curative or pa lliative? If the goa l is to cure, we per form a resection a nd look for the simplest way to do that. We follow with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. We m ay h ave t o sh r i n k t he lesion f i r s t with radiation. We involve the surgeon in a l l t hese conversations. Once t he lesion is sma ll enough to be resectable, Dr. Sa ldinger removes the lesion, a nd we a re finished. Our radiolog ists a re wonderful and work closely with us." The circle of communication includes referring physicians, as well. "Communication is critica l at ever y level," Dr. Saldinger says. "I call and text referrers with updates. I ca ll the refer- ring physician if a patient needs surgery, a nd ca ll aga in a f ter the procedure to let him or her know how it went a nd whether there were complications — and that 's a nother rea son we strive to do good work. W hen I per form well as a surgeon, it reflects positively on refer- ring physicians." Most important, Dr. Sa ldinger says, this tight-knit team is motivated by an unwavering concern for each patient. " We care," he says. " We care at every level . W hen pat ient s come here for surger y, we are persona lly involved to ensure ever y thing is completed at the highest sta nda rd of excellence to do justice to these patients." To learn more, visit nyp.org. n Under the leadership of Dr. Saldinger, the pancreatic and biliary service at NYP Queens has grown into a comprehensive program offering a wide spectrum of therapies for pancreatic and biliary malignancies and other disorders. The Biliary Endoscopy Team at NYP Queens uses minimally invasive techniques to treat patients' digestive disorders. " Word is slowly getting around that we can do all the major pancreatic and biliary procedures here in Queens. You don't have to send patients to a mecca of surgery to have a procedure done. For the most part, patients can obtain the highest levels of care close to home." — PIERRE SALDINGER, MD, CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY AND SURGEON IN CHIEF AT NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN QUEENS AND PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL SURGERY AT WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE 1 0❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R F E A T U R E

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