What Happens Before, During and After Cancer Surgery? Cancer Surgery in Chennai Explained
What happens before, during and after cancer surgery? It is a journey in three stages: careful preparation, a precise operation and a guided recovery. Understanding each stage of cancer surgery in Chennai removes fear and helps you and your family prepare with confidence. As a leading surgical oncologist in Chennai, Dr. Srikarthik Voleti (MBBS, MS, MCh Surgical Oncology, MRCS Edin) guides every patient through what happens before, during and after cancer surgery at Kauvery Hospital, Radial Road.
Whether you are searching for a cancer doctor in Chennai, an oncologist near me or the best cancer hospital in Chennai, this guide to what happens before, during and after cancer surgery shows you exactly what to expect.
In This Guide
What Happens Before Cancer Surgery? Preparation for Cancer Surgery in Chennai
The first part of what happens before, during and after cancer surgery is planning. Good preparation makes cancer surgery in Chennai safer and recovery faster.
Consultation
Meet your surgical oncologist, review your history, scans and biopsy, and understand your diagnosis.
Staging Tests
CT, MRI, PET-CT, endoscopy and blood tests confirm the extent of the cancer.
Tumour Board
Surgeon, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist plan surgery, chemotherapy treatment or both.
Fitness Check
Anaesthesia review, heart and lung checks, nutrition support and medicine adjustments.
Before Surgery Checklist
Consent and counselling
Your oncologist explains the procedure, benefits, risks and options such as robotic, laparoscopic or open surgery, so you can decide with full clarity.
Fasting and medicines
- Follow the fasting time given by the anaesthesia team.
- Confirm which regular medicines to continue or pause.
- Stop smoking and alcohol, and carry all reports and prescriptions.
Patients who need neoadjuvant chemo treatment first will complete it before surgery. This is a common part of what happens before cancer surgery for breast, stomach, rectal and esophageal cancers.
What Happens During Cancer Surgery? Inside the Operating Room
The middle part of what happens before, during and after cancer surgery is the operation itself, performed by an experienced oncology surgeon in a modern theatre at Kauvery Hospital Chennai.
Anaesthesia and Monitoring
You are given general anaesthesia and your heart rate, oxygen and blood pressure are monitored throughout, so you feel no pain during cancer surgery.
The Surgical Approach
Robotic cancer surgery
Tiny incisions, 3D magnified vision and precise movements help in rectum, colon, uterus, stomach, esophageal, kidney, bladder and lung cancers. See robotic cancer surgery in Chennai.
Laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery
Keyhole surgery means less pain, less blood loss and early discharge. Read about minimally invasive cancer surgery.
Open surgery
Some large or complex tumours still need open surgery, chosen only when it is the safest option.
What the Surgeon Does
- Removes the tumour with healthy, cancer-free margins.
- Removes or samples lymph nodes to check spread.
- Reconstructs or restores function where possible, such as oncoplastic breast surgery.
- Sends tissue for pathology, and uses ICG fluorescence guidance where useful.
Surgery can last one hour to many hours, from simple procedures to cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC.
What Happens After Cancer Surgery? Recovery and Follow-Up
The final stage of what happens before, during and after cancer surgery decides how well you heal and how well the cancer is controlled.
Immediately After Surgery
You wake in the recovery room, then move to your room or ICU. Pain is controlled, drains and tubes are watched, and the nurses help you sit and sip fluids early.
Hospital Recovery
- Early walking and breathing exercises to prevent clots and chest infection.
- Gradual diet progression with nutrition support.
- Wound care teaching before discharge. Minimally invasive surgery often means 2 to 5 days in hospital.
Pathology Report and Next Steps
The pathology report confirms stage and margins. Your oncologist then explains whether you need chemotherapy treatment, radiotherapy, targeted therapy or only regular follow-up. Read more in After Cancer Surgery Treatment: Recovery, Follow-Up and Next Steps.
Long-Term Follow-Up
Regular check-ups
Scheduled visits, blood tests and scans track your recovery for years.
Emotional well-being
Counselling and family support are part of complete cancer care after surgery.
Cancer Surgery in Chennai: Cancers Treated at Kauvery Hospital
If you are looking for the best surgical oncologist in Chennai, a breast cancer specialist in Chennai, the best head and neck cancer surgeon in Chennai or an oncologist near me, Dr. Srikarthik Voleti treats the following cancers:
Oncology Care Near You in Chennai
Patients from Tambaram, Kovilambakkam, Velachery, Medavakkam, Pallavaram, Royapettah, Adyar and across Chennai search for a cancer doctor in Chennai, an oncologist in Chennai, the best oncologist in Chennai, the best cancer specialist in Chennai or a surgical oncologist near me. Kauvery Hospital offers oncology, cancer surgery, chemo treatment planning and complete follow-up under one roof, making it one of the best cancer hospitals in Chennai for surgical cancer care. Looking for a breast doctor near me or a breast specialist doctor near me? Dr. Voleti also performs breast cancer surgery with oncoplasty.
Why Choose Dr. Srikarthik Voleti for Cancer Surgery in Chennai?
Dr. Srikarthik Voleti is a surgical oncologist and robotic cancer surgeon who trained at Tata Memorial Centre, Aster International Institute of Oncology and NYU Langone Health, Manhattan. He holds fellowships in Robotic and Minimal Access Surgical Oncology and the Medtronic Robotic Surgery Fellowship, and speaks English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
- Best Poster Award for Fluorescence-Guided Robotic Total Peritonectomy and HIPEC, SISSO, Seoul.
- Best Paper Award, APSICON 2016.
- Faculty speaker at robotic surgery conferences.
Find the verified profile on Google: Dr. Srikarthik Voleti – Surgical Oncologist & Robotic Cancer Surgeon | Kauvery Hospital Chennai.
FAQs: What Happens Before, During and After Cancer Surgery
You have a consultation, biopsy review, imaging, blood tests, an anaesthesia check-up and clear instructions on fasting and medicines.
Under anaesthesia, the surgical oncologist removes the tumour with safe margins and, where needed, lymph nodes, using open, laparoscopic or robotic methods.
You are monitored in recovery, pain is controlled, you start walking early, the pathology report is reviewed and the next steps are planned.
From about one hour for smaller procedures to many hours for complex surgeries like cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC.
Robotic and minimally invasive surgery often needs 2 to 5 days. Major open surgery may need a week or more.
For suitable cancers, robotic surgery offers smaller cuts, less pain, less blood loss and faster recovery.
It depends on the pathology report and stage. Your oncologist decides if chemotherapy treatment, radiotherapy or follow-up alone is right for you.
Light activity begins within days. Most people return to routine work in 2 to 6 weeks depending on the surgery.
Dr. Srikarthik Voleti, MCh Surgical Oncology, trained at Tata Memorial Centre and NYU Langone Health, is a trusted robotic cancer surgeon at Kauvery Hospital Chennai.
Call +91-89391 02777 or use the form below. Consultations are Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.
Book Cancer Surgery Consultation in Chennai
Talk to a trusted cancer doctor in Chennai about what happens before, during and after cancer surgery for your case.
Kauvery Hospital – Radial Road
2/473, 200 Feet Radial Rd, Ganapathy Nagar, Kovilambakkam, Chennai 600129
Mon–Sat: 9am – 5pm
Ojas Health Multispeciality Clinic
IOA Complex, 69, Royapettah High Rd, Jagadambal Colony, Chennai 600014
Mon–Sat: 6pm – 8pm