Renowned Surgeon Named Director of Urologic Oncology

July 7, 2010 - PRLog -- South Nassau Communities Hospital continued the expansion of its cancer program, naming David A. Silver, M.D, FACS, director of urologic oncology.  Dr. Silver is a leading surgical oncologist and pioneer in robot-assisted, minimally-invasive surgery.

“At South Nassau we are committed to providing the South Shore communities with standard-setting, leading-edge healthcare services and programs,” said Linda Efferen, M.D., chief medical officer at South Nassau.  “Dr. Silver is a reflection of that commitment, and I am confident that under his direction our urologic oncology program will build on its tradition of providing the advanced technologies and treatments so that residents who are diagnosed with urologic cancer don’t have to leave the neighborhood to access the services and care they need.”

In addition to his responsibilities as director of urologic oncology, Dr. Silver will oversee the introduction and development of robot-assisted surgical services provided by South Nassau.  Dr. Silver specializes in treating patients with cancer of the adrenal glands, kidneys, bladder, and prostate.  He also has expertise in treating hematuria and PSA abnormalities as well as kidney-sparing surgery for renal tumors, cystectomy with continent urinary diversion, testicular tumor surgery, and multimodal management of bladder and prostate cancer.

Dr. Silver serves on the thirteen-member New York State Prostate and Testicular Cancer Detection and Education Advisory Council, which meets regularly throughout the year in Albany, NY, to advise the New York State Department of Health on a range of men's health issues.  He earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed residency training at Maimonides Medical Center and fellowship training in surgical oncology and experimental neuropathology at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Silver and South Nassau surgeons trained in robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgery are able to access organs such as the prostate gland, kidneys and ureters (the tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder) to perform delicate and intricate surgical tasks with extreme precision, sparing the tissue and nerves surrounding the surgical site.  The patient benefits of robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgery include a shorter hospital stay, reduced pain, scarring and risk of infection, less blood loss and quicker post-operative recovery.

In addition to its urologic oncology program, the Cancer Program and its Cancer Center in Valley Stream incorporate the following specialty cancer care services:

·                    South Nassau’s GYN Oncology Department (Valley Stream)  

·                    South Nassau’s Long Island Gamma Knife® Center (Oceanside)

·                    South Nassau’s Center for Prostate Health (Oceanside)

·                    South Nassau’s Center for Lung Health (Oceanside/Valley Stream)

·                    South Nassau’s Center for Comprehensive Radiation Services (Oceanside and Valley Stream)

·                    South Nassau’s Surgical Oncology Department (Valley Stream)

·                    Complete Women’s Imaging Center (Oceanside)

·                    South Nassau’s PET/CT Service (Oceanside)

South Nassau’s Cancer Program features a multi-disciplinary team of accomplished medical, radiation, and surgical oncologists.  They work together and use advanced diagnostic, medical, radiation, and surgical oncology technologies and treatments to treat a wide range of cancers.  To schedule a consultation or for more information about South Nassau’s Cancer Program, call 516-632-3350, or visit southnassau.org.

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South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than 875 physicians and 2,800 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services. In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau boasts Long Island’s first and only Gamma Knifeâ and Novalis Tx radiosurgery technologies and provides emergency and elective angioplasty. South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.