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• Achalasia (Laparoscopic)
• Bile Duct Excision for benign & malignant disease
• Cholecystectomy

  Cholecystectomy

  A cholecystectomy is surgery to remove your gallbladder. You may have a cholecystectomy as an outpatient or as part of your stay in a hospital. The way the surgery is done may vary depending on your condition and your healthcare provider's practices.
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• 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 Polyps
• Colon Tumor (Benign)
• Colorectal (colon, rectum and anus)
• 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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• Duodenal Ulcer Disease

  Peptic Ulcers

  A peptic ulcer is a sore on the lining of your stomach or the first part of your small intestine (duodenum). If the ulcer is in your stomach, it is called a gastric ulcer. If the ulcer is in your duodenum, it is called a duodenal ulcer.
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• Fundoplication
• Gallbladder
• Gallstone

  Gallstone Pancreatitis

  Gallstones form in your gallbladder. But in cases of gallstone pancreatitis, the stone leaves the gallbladder. It blocks the opening from the pancreas to the first part of the small intestine (duodenum).
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• Gastrectomy

  Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Overview

  This surgery takes out the part of your stomach that curves outward, called the fundus. After the fundus is taken out, your surgeon will close the rest of your stomach into a tube shape that looks like a banana.
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• Gastric Cancer
• Gastric Polyps

  Gastric Polyps

  Gastric polyps are abnormal growths on the inner lining of your stomach. Most are harmless and don't cause symptoms. But some of them turn into cancer.
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• Gastrointestinal Surgery
• GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)

  Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)/Heartburn

  GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a digestive disorder. It is caused when gastric acid from your stomach flows back up into your esophagus.
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• Hepatobiliary

  Disorders of the Biliary System

  Detailed information on the most common disorders of the biliary system, including gallstones, cholangitis, cholecystitis, biliary cirrhosis, and biliary duct cancer.
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• Hernia Repair ( Epigastric Hernia)
• Hernia Repair (Femoral Hernia)
• Hernia Repair (Inguinal Hernia)

  Inguinal Hernia

  An inguinal hernia is when part of your intestine pushes through a weak spot in your lower belly (abdominal) wall. This area is called the groin. The hernia creates a lump in your groin. Over time, the hernia may get bigger.
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• Hernia Repair (Umbilical Hernia)
• Hiatal Hernia

  Hiatal Hernia

  In a hiatal hernia, part of your stomach pushes up into an opening (the hiatus) in your diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle between your stomach and your chest.
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• Laparoscopic Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

  Methods of Surgery

  An "open" surgery means cutting the skin and tissues so that the surgeon has a full view of the structures or organs involved. Minimally invasive surgery is a relatively new approach that allows the patient to recuperate faster with less pain. Not all conditions are suitable for this type of surgery.
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• 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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• Pancreatic Cancer

  Pancreatic Cancer: Introduction

  Pancreatic cancer often grows within the pancreas for a long time before it causes any symptoms. If the cancer grows outside the pancreas, it often goes into the nearby bile ducts and lymph nodes in your belly (abdomen). In some cases, it spreads to other nearby areas.
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• Pancreatic Tumor (Benign)
• Paraesophageal Diverticulum
• Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD) Surgery
• Periampullary Mass
• Sigmoid Cecal Volvulus

  Understanding an Intestinal Obstruction

  If your doctor determines that you have an intestinal obstruction, it means that something is blocking your intestine. Food and stool may not be able to move freely.
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• Small Bowel Internal Fistula ( Open & Lap)
• Splenectomy (Open & Lap)

  Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Surgery

  With chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), surgery is sometimes used to remove a swollen spleen. This procedure is called a splenectomy
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• Stomach Cancer

  Stomach Cancer: Introduction

  Stomach cancer is a disease in which cancer starts in cells in the stomach. It’s also called gastric cancer. There are different types of stomach cancer. They each grow in different parts of the stomach
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• Stomach Tumor (Benign)
• Urgent Gastrointestinal Surgery
• Whipple & Pancreatectomy

  Pancreatic Cancer: Surgery

  Surgery can sometimes be used to treat pancreatic cancer. Learn about the different types of operations.
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• Molecular genetics of pancreatic cancer

Link to more PubMed publications >

1. Donahue, T.R., Tran, L.M., Hill, R., Li, Y., Kovochich A., Calvopina, J.H., Patel, S.G., Wu, N., Hindoyan, A., Farrell, J.J., Li, X., Dawson, D.W., Wu, H., "Integrative Survival-Based Molecular Profiling of Human Pancreatic Cancer." Clinical Cancer Research, 18(5): 1352-63, 2012. PMCID: PMC3816537.
2. Kadera BE, Toste PA, Wu N, Li L, Nguyen AH, Dawson DW, Donahue TR, "Low expression of the E3 ubiquitin ligase CBL confers chemoresistance in human pancreatic cancer and is targeted by epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition," Clin Cancer Res, 2014, Oct 27. PMCID: PMC4286535.
3. Donahue, T.R., Isacoff, W.H., Hines, O.J., Tomlinson J.S., Farrell, J.J., Bhat, Y.M., Garon, E., Clerkin, B.M., Reber, H.A., "Downstaging Chemotherapy (DCTx) May Alter The Classic CT/MRI Signs of Vascular Involvement in Patients with Pancreaticobiliary Cancers. This Should Influence Patient Selection for Surgery." Archives of Surgery, 146(7): 836-43, 2011.
4. Kadera BE, Sunjaya DB, Isacoff WH, Li L, Hines OJ, Tomlinson JS, Dawson DW, Rochefort MM, Donald GW, Clerkin BM, Reber HA, Donahue TR, "Locally advanced pancreatic cancer: association between prolonged preoperative treatment and lymph-node negativity and overall survival." JAMA Surgery, 149(2): 145-53, 2014.
5. Williams JL, Kadera BE, Nguyen AH, Muthusamy VR, Wainberg ZA, Hines, OJ, Reber HA, Donahue TR, "CA19-9 Normalization During Pre-operative Treatment Predicts Longer Survival for Patients with Locally Progressed Pancreatic Cancer," J Gastrointest Surg. 20(7):1331-42, 2016.
6. Toste PA, Nguyen AH, Kadera BE, Duong M, Wu N, Gawlas I, Tran LM, Bikhchandani M, Li L, Patel SG, Dawson DW, Donahue TR, "Chemotherapy-induced Inflammatory Gene Signature and Pro-tumorigenic Phenotype in Pancreatic CAFs via Stress-associated MAPK," Mol Cancer Res, 14(5): 437-47, 2016.
7. Williams JL, Nguyen AH, Rochefort M, Muthusamy VE, Wainberg ZA, Dawson DW, Tomlinson JS, Hines OJ, Reber HA, Donahue TR, "Pancreatic cancer patients with lymph node involvement by direct tumor extension have similar survival to those with node-negative disease," J Surg Onc, 112(4):396-402, 2015.
8. Nguyen AH, Toste P, Farrell JJ, Clerkin BM, Muthusamy VR, Watson R, Tomlinson JS, Hines OJ, Reber HA, Donahue TR, "Current Indications for Surgery of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms May Overlook Some Patients with Cancer: Recommendations for Change," J. Gastrointest Surg., 19(2): 258 – 65, 2015.
9. Toste PA, Kadera BE, Tatishchev SF, Dawson DW, Clerkin BM, Muthusamy R, Watson R, Tomlinson JS, Hines OJ, Reber HA, Donahue TR, "Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors < 2 cm on preoperative imaging are associated with a low incidence of nodal metastases and an excellent overall survival." J Gastrointest Surgery, 17(12):2105-13, 2013.
10. Farrell JJ, Toste PM, Wu N, Li L, Li X, Lin TM, Wong J, Wu X, Dawson DW, Wu H, Donahue TR, "Endoscopically acquired pancreatic cyst fluid microRNA 21 and 221 are associated with invasive cancer," American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2013 Aug;108(8):1352-9.

• NIH LRP Renewal, 2015 – 2016
• NIH LRP Renewal, 2014 – 2015
• NIH LRP Renewal, 2013 – 2014
• NIH LRP Renewal, 2012 – 2013
• NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP), 2010 – 2012
• Most Outstanding Chief Resident Medical Student Teaching Award, 2009
• Most Outstanding Vascular Surgery Chief Resident, 2008
• ASCO Foundation Merit Award. 2008
• Outstanding Medical Student Teaching Award, UCLA, 2006
• Outstanding Medical Student Teaching Award, UCLA, 2005

Medical Education