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Alfredo A. Santillan, M.D., MPH

General Summary

Dr. Alfredo A. Santillan-Gomez is a board certified general surgeon with a specialty in surgical oncology. He is fully devoted to the oncology and endocrine surgical fields.

Dr. Santillan received his medical doctorate with honors from the Institute of Technology, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico and obtained a master’s degree in public health at Harvard University. He completed his residency in general surgery at Texas Tech University. As a senior surgery resident, he was awarded the Allando Ballantyne fellowship in head and neck surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He received advanced training in surgical oncology at Moffitt Cancer and Research Center, University of South Florida, in Tampa. Prior to joining Texas Oncology, Dr. Santillan-Gomez served for seven years as an associate professor in the division of surgical oncology and endocrine surgery at The University of Texas Health at San Antonio and is currently an adjunct professor of the division of epidemiology and biostatistics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Santillan’s areas of expertise include oncologic and endocrine surgery with emphasis on surgical diseases of the breast, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, colon, melanoma, pancreas and sarcoma. He has practiced in San Antonio since 2009 and is recognized as a leader in cancer and endocrine surgery with extensive surgical experience.

He is a Hidden Scar trained surgeon on advanced minimally invasive and minimal access surgical approaches that deliver optimal clinical and aesthetic outcomes for patients with breast cancer.

He is one of the few high thyroid volume surgeons in South Texas, according to the American Thyroid Association guidelines, with more than 100 thyroid surgeries per year.

Education

  • Fellowship in Surgical Oncology
    Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
  • Fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology
    Allando Ballantyne Fellowship in Head and Neck Surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, TX
  • Residency in General Surgery
    Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX
  • Master of Public Health, Quantitative Methods
    Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • Medical Doctorate
    Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Monterrey, N.L., México

Accolades & Memberships

  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
  • American College of Surgeons
  • American Head and Neck Society
  • American Society of Breast Surgeons
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • Society of Surgical Oncology

Conditions & Procedures

Endocrine: Thyroid, Parathyroid, Adrenal

  • Thyroidectomy, Central neck lymph node dissection, Lateral neck lymph node dissection, Recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring, Minimal invasive parathyroidectomy, Robotic and laparoscopic adrenalectomy
  • High volume category of thyroid procedures

Breast

  • Lumpectomy, Partial mastectomy, Mastectomy, Skin and nipple sparing mastectomy, Sentinel lymph node biopsy, Axillary lymph node dissection
  • Hidden Scar mastectomy, Hidden Scar lumpectomy
  • Placement of SAVI for five-day high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment after lumpectomy, implanted port placement
  • Genetic Testing for hereditary breast cancer (BRCA Gene)

Coordination with reconstructive/plastic surgery

Dr. Santillan works closely with PRMA Center for Advanced Breast Reconstruction which combines reconstructive excellence with cosmetic surgery expertise. They strive to provide Dr. Santillan’s breast cancer patients the best and most natural results possible.

Melanoma & Soft Tissue Sarcoma

  • Excision of skin melanoma, skin graft after excision, Sentinel lymph node biopsy, Lymphadenectomy, Isolated limb infusion, Resection of sarcoma.

Complex Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology & Pancreas

  • Gastric cancer
    • Total-Subtotal-Partial Gastrectomy
  • Small bowel & Colon Cancer
    • Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy, Laparoscopic subtotal colectomy, Robotic sigmoidectomy
  • Rectal Cancer
    • Robotic Low Anterior Resection, Robotic Abdominoperineal Resection, Robotic coloanal anastomosis
  • Pancreas
    • Distal pancreatectomy, Whipple procedure, Pancreatic enucleation
  • Liver
    • Hepatectomy
  • Peritoneal Cancer & Appendiceal Cancer
    • Cytoreductive surgery
    • HIPEC intraperitoneal chemotherapy

Surgery Locations

  • Methodist Hospital
  • St. Lukes Baptist Hospital
  • CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - Medical Center
  • CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - Westover Hills
  • Methodist Stone Oak Hospital
  • Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital
  • Methodist Landmark
  • Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Medical Center
  • North Central Baptist at Stone Oak

Publications

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Surgical Procedures

  • Axillary Lymph Node Dissection
  • Excision of Chest Wall Tumors
  • Excisional Breast Biopsy
  • Hidden Scar Lumpectomy & Mastectomy
  • Hidden Scar Surgery
  • Lumpectomy - Partial Mastectomy - Quadrantectomy
  • Mastectomy
  • Mediport Placement
  • Nipple Duct Excision
  • Nipple Sparing Mastectomy
  • Oncoplastic Partial Mastectomy with Contralateral Mastopexy for Symmetry
  • Oncoplastic Tissue Rearrangement
  • Radical Excision of Metastatic Lesions
  • Reconstructive Surgery
  • Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
  • Wire Localization Excisional Biopsy

Videos

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Research Interest

He is a co-author of numerous publications and research projects with special interest in cancer biology and epidemiology.

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