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Specialty:: Surgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery
Surgery
Department Affiliation:: Surgery
Hospital Affiliation:: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
State License:: A81738
Languages:: Armenian
Phone:: (310) 794-7788
Health Plans:: Accepted Plans

About Me

Dr. Kazanjian was raised in Los Angeles and received both his medical degree and undergraduate degree from UCLA. He completed his general surgery residency at the UCLA Medical Center, during which time he spent two years pursuing a fellowship in cancer research. He then completed colorectal surgery training at the University of Minnesota—the oldest and largest colon and rectal surgery fellowship program in the country. He is board certified in General Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery. His clinical interests and expertise include Colon and Rectal Cancer, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis), minimally invasive colorectal surgery (laparoscopic and robotic), transanal endoscopic surgery, and anorectal disorders (hemorrhoids, anal fistula, pilonidal cyst, rectal prolapse).

Dr. Kazanjian was recruited to join the UCLA Department of Surgery in 2014 as Chief of Colorectal Surgery and leads a prominent group of expert colorectal surgeons in the Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery. The group emphasizes a multidisciplinary and team approach to patient care to achieve the best possible outcomes. Previously, he served as the Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Loma Linda University Medical Center from 2009 to 2014, during which time he established a high-volume colorectal surgery unit, with emphasis on using minimally invasive surgical approaches, including robotic surgery. In 2015, he established a satellite office for UCLA Colorectal Surgery in Santa Clarita to help facilitate easier access to consultation and follow-up care for patients in northern Los Angeles and beyond.

Dr. Kazanjian is the recipient of several awards for teaching, research and clinical excellence, including "Top Doctor" by Castle Connolly and Los Angeles Magazine.

Academic Appointments
Associate Professor of Surgery
Chief, Section of Colon and Rectal Surgery

Memberships

American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
American College of Surgeons
Society of Surgical Oncology
Pacific Coast Surgical Association

Links

uclahealth.org/colorectalsurgery
surgery.ucla.edu
uclahealth.org/santa-clarita
uclahealth.org/robotic-surgery

Primary Office: Endocrine Surgery
200 UCLA Medical Plaza
Suite 214
Los Angeles, CA 90095
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Phone: (310) 794-7788
Secondary Office: Santa Clarita Specialty Care
25775 McBean Parkway
Suite 214
Valencia, CA 91355
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Phone: (661) 255-2420
Fax: (661) 259-0552

Medical Board Certifications: Surgery, American Board of Surgery, 2009
Certification 2: Colon and Rectal Surgery, American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, 2011
Fellowship: Colon & Rectal Surgery, University of Minnesota GME, 2008-2009
Residency: General Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, 2002-2008
Internship: General Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, 2001-2002
Degree: UCLA School of Medicine, MD, 2001

Interests

Anal Fistula
Chief
Colon Cancer
Colorectal Cancer: Introduction
Colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in either your colon or your rectum. These make up the lower part of your digestive tract. In most cases cancer does not start in both the colon and rectum. But both types of cancer have a lot in common, so they are often called colorectal cancer.
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Colon Tumor (Benign)
Colorectal (colon, rectum and anus)
Crohn's Disease
Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease occurs when there is redness and swelling (inflammation) and sores along your digestive tract. It is part of a group of diseases known as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD.
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Diverticulitis
Diverticular Disease
Diverticular disease is an infection in the tiny pouches that some people get in their colon. The pouches are called diverticula. These pouches bulge out through weak spots in your colon. The pouches can become inflamed (red, swollen) or infected.
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Gastrointestinal
Gastrointestinal Conditions
Detailed information on gastrointestinal conditions in children, including Colic, Constipation, Diarrhea, Reflux, and Inguinal Hernia.
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Hemorrhoid External
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are when the veins or blood vessels in and around your anus and lower rectum become swollen and irritated. This happens when there is extra pressure on these veins.
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Hemorrhoid Internal
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are when the veins or blood vessels in and around your anus and lower rectum become swollen and irritated. This happens when there is extra pressure on these veins.
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Ileoanal Pull Through
Ilial-Pouch Anal Anastamosis
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that affects your large intestine or colon. When you have IBS your colon looks normal. But it does not work the way it should.
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Laparoscopic Surgery
Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Surgery
Oncology
Cancer Overview
Cancer cells don't function properly, and they can spread to many areas of the body. Tumors are clusters of cells that are capable of growing and dividing uncontrollably; their growth is not regulated.
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Pilonidal cyst
Proctocolectomy (Ileal pull through)
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is part of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is when the lining of your large intestine (the colon or large bowel) and your rectum become red and swollen or inflamed. In most cases the inflammation begins in your rectum and lower intestine and moves up to the whole colon.
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Rectal Cancer
Anal Cancer: Diagnosis
To determine if you might have anal cancer, you will need certain exams and tests to be sure. Diagnosing anal cancer starts with your healthcare provider asking you questions. You will be asked about your health history, your symptoms, risk factors, and family history of disease. He or she will also do a physical exam. This includes a digital rectal exam (DRE). During a DRE, your healthcare provider puts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum. He or she checks for hard or lumpy areas.
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Rectal Prolapse
Rectal Tumor (Benign)
Robotic Surgery
Transanal endoscopic surgery
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is part of a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is when the lining of your large intestine (the colon or large bowel) and your rectum become red and swollen or inflamed. In most cases the inflammation begins in your rectum and lower intestine and moves up to the whole colon.
Learn more >

Publications

Link to Dr. Kazanjian's PubMed publications >

Marjun Duldulao, Cassie Booth, Laura Denham, Audrey Choi, Garrett Friedman, and Kevork Kazanjian. Alcohol Fat Clearance Increases Lymph Node Yield after Surgery for Colorectal Cancer. American Surgeon, 2014 Oct..
Ted C. Ling, Jason M. Slater, Maheswari Senthil, Kevork Kazanjian, Frank Howard, Carlos A. Garberoglio, Jerry D. Slater, and Gary Y. Yang. Surgical and radiation therapy management of recurrent anal melanoma. J Gastrointest Oncol 2014. doi: 10.3978/ j.issn.2078-6891.2013.050
Myung Mi Cho, John W. Morgan, Raymond Knutsen, Keiji Oda, David Shavlik, Synnove Knutsen, and Kevork Kazanjian. Outcomes of multimodality therapies for stage II and III rectal cancer patients in California, 1994-2009. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, 2013 Dec;56(12):1357-65. PMID: 24201389
Windy Olaya, Jan H. Wong , Jasmine Wong, John W. Morgan, Kevork Kazanjian, and Sharon S. Lum. When is a Lymph Node Dissection a Lymph Node Dissection? The Number of Lymph Nodes Resected in Sentinel and Axillary Lymph Node Dissections. Ann Surg Oncol 2012 Sep 7. PMID: 22956069
John W. Morgan, Myung Mi Cho, Christine D. Guenzi, Christian Jackson, Arvind Mathur, Zuhair Natto, Kevork Kazanjian, Hoan Tran, David Shavlik, and Sharon S. Lum. Predictors of Delayed-Stage Colorectal Cancer: Are We Neglecting Critical Demographic Information? Annals of Epidemiology 2011 Dec;21(12):914-921. PMID: 22000327
Matthew Roos, Jan H. Wong, Sharmilla Roy-Chowdhury, Sharon S. Lum, John W. Morgan, and Kevork Kazanjian. The Impact of Multidisciplinary Care in Node-Positive Rectal Cancer. American Surgeon, 2010 Oct;76(10): 1163-1166(4). PMID: 21105635
Isabella Kuo, Jan H. Wong, Sharmilla Roy-Chowdhury, John W. Morgan, and Kevork Kazanjian. The Utilization of Pelvic Radiation in Stage II Rectal Cancer: A Population Based Analysis. American Surgeon, 2010 Oct;76(10): 1092-1095(4). PMID: 21105617
Windy Olaya, Won Bae, Jan H. Wong, Jasmine Wong, Sharmilla Roy-Chowdhury, Kevork Kazanjian, and Sharon S. Lum. Are percutaneous biopsy rates a reasonable quality measure in breast cancer management? Ann Surg Oncol. 2010 Oct;17(Suppl 3):268-72. PMID: 20853045
Windy Olaya, Jan H. Wong, John W Morgan, Caitlyn Truong, Sharmilla Roy-Chowdhury, Kevork Kazanjian, and Sharon S. Lum. Factors associated with variance in compliance with a sentinel lymph node dissection quality measure in early-stage breast cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2010 Oct;17(Suppl 3):297-302. PMID: 20853050
Windy Olaya, Won Bae, Jan H. Wong, Jasmine Wong, Sharmilla Roy-Chowdhury, Kevork Kazanjian, and Sharon S. Lum. Accuracy and Upgrade Rates of Percutaneous Breast Biopsy: the surgeon’s role. American Surgeon, 2010 Oct;76(10):1084-7. PMID: 21105615
G. Paul Wright, Jan H. Wong, John Morgan, Sharmilla Roy-Chowdhury, Kevork Kazanjian, and Sharon S. Lum. Time from Diagnosis to Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer: factors influencing delays in initiating treatment. American Surgeon, 2010 Oct;76(10):1119-22. PMID: 21105624
Timothy R. Donahue, Kevork K. Kazanjian, William H. Isacoff, Howard A. Reber, and O. Joe Hines. Impact of Splenectomy on Thrombocytopenia, Chemotherapy, and Survival in Patients with Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer, Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 2010 Jun;14(6):1012-8. PMID: 20309646
Kevork K. Kazanjian, Oscar J. Hines, John P. Duffy, Diana Y. Yoon, Galen Cortina, and Howard A. Reber. Improved Survival Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy to Treat Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreas: The Influence of Operative Blood Loss, Archives of Surgery, 2008 Dec;143(12):1166-71. PMID: 19075167
Jonathan King, Kevork K. Kazanjian, Joe Matsumoto, Howard A Reber, Michael W. Yeh, and O. Joe Hines. Distal Pancreatectomy: Incidence of Postoperative Diabetes, Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 2008 Sep;12(9):1548-53. PMID: 18543045
Kevork K. Kazanjian, Howard A. Reber, and Oscar J. Hines. Resection of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors, Archives of Surgery, 2006 Aug;141:765-770. PMID: 16924083
Joseph Kim, Howard A. Reber, Sarah M. Dry, David Elashoff, Steven L. Chen, Naoyuki Umetani, Minoru Kitago, Oscar J. Hines, Kevork K. Kazanjian, Suzanne H. Hiramatsu, Anton J. Bilchik, Sherri Yong, Margo Shoup, and Dave S.B. Hoon. Unfavourable prognosis associated with K-ras gene mutation in pancreatic cancer surgical margins, Gut, 2006 May;55:1598-1605. PMID: 16682430
Hirozumi Sawai, Yuji Okada, Kevork K. Kazanjian, Joseph Kim, Sascha Hasan, Oscar J. Hines, Howard A. Reber, Dave S.B. Hoon, and Guido Eibl. The G691S RET Polymorphism Increases Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor-Induced Pancreatic Cancer Cell Invasion by Amplifying Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling, Cancer Research, 2005 Dec 15;65(24):11536-11544. PMID: 16357163
Joseph Kim, Howard A. Reber, Oscar J. Hines, Kevork K. Kazanjian, Andy Tran, Xing Ye, Farin F. Amersi, Steve R. Martinez, Sarah M. Dry, Anton J. Bilchik, and Dave S.B. Hoon. The clinical significance of MAGEA3 expression in pancreatic cancer, International Journal of Cancer, 2005 Dec;5;118(9):2269-2275. PMID: 16331618
Kevork K. Kazanjian, Oscar J. Hines, Guido Eibl, and Howard A. Reber. Management of Pancreatic Fistulas after Pancreaticoduodenectomy, Archives of Surgery, 2005 Sep;140:849-855. PMID: 16172293
Kevork K. Kazanjian and Oscar J. Hines. Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: When Endoscopic Therapy Fails – A Surgeon’s Perspective, Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 2005 Jul;7:156-9.
Kevork K. Kazanjian, Howard A. Reber, and Oscar J. Hines. Laparoscopic Gastrojejunostomy for Gastric Outlet Obstruction in Pancreatic Cancer, American Surgeon, 2004 Oct;70(10):910-3. PMID: 15529849
Kevork K. Kazanjian, Shirin Towfigh, David W. McFadden. Peptide YY Exhibits a Mitogenic Effect on Pancreatic Cells While Improving Acute Pancreatitis in Vitro, Journal of Surgical Research, 2003 Sep;114(1):95-9. PMID: 13678704
David A. Rigberg, Jeff L. Sebastian, Kevork K. Kazanjian, David W. McFadden. Hypophosphorylated Retinoblastoma Protein is Associated with G2 Arrest in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Journal of Surgical Research, 1999 Jun 1;84(1):101-5. PMID: 10334897

Awards: Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2021
Castle Connolly Top Doctors, Colon & Rectal Surgery, 2017-2019
Los Angeles Magazine, Top Doctors, Colon & Rectal Surgery, 2019
Super Doctors Southern California, Colon & Rectal Surgery, 2017-2019
The Golden Scalpel Award, UCLA Department of Surgery, 2018
The Golden Scalpel Award, Loma Linda University Department of Surgery, 2014
Fellow, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, 2013
Fellow, American College of Surgeons, 2011
The Golden Scalpel Award, UCLA Department of Surgery – Awarded to the outstanding graduating Chief Resident, 2008
Golden Apple/Ronald K. Tompkins Award, UCLA School of Medicine – Awarded to the Chief Resident demonstrating excellence in teaching, 2008