Staff and specialities

Professor:  Masaji TANI  (General and Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Professor:  Tomoaki SUZUKI  (Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery)
Professor:  Yoshihiro ENDO  (Clinical Nursing)
Professor:  Eiji MEKATA  (Comprehensive Surgery)
Associate Professor:  Jun HANAOKA  (Thoracic Surgery)
Associate Professor:  Hiroya IIDA  (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Associate Professor:  Tsuyoshi YAMAGUCHI (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Associate Professor:  Toru MIYAKE  (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Takeshi KINOSHITA   (Cardiovascular Surgery) 
Assistant Professor:  Hiroyuki OHTA   (Comprehensive Surgery)  
Assistant Professor:  Hiroya AKABORI  (Comprehensive Surgery)  
Senior Assistant Professor:  Sachiko KAIDA  (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Senior Assistant Professor:  Yasuhiko OHSHIO  (Thoracic Surgery) 
Assistant Professor:  Ken ISHIKAWA   (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Tomoyuki UEKI  (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Sachiko SAKAI  (Pediatric Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Masatsugu KOJIMA  (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Hiromitsu MAEHIRA (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Katsushi TAKEBAYASHI (Gastrointestinal Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Noriyuki TAKASHIMA  (Cardiovascular Surgery) 
Assistant Professor:  Keigo OKAMOTO  (Thoracic Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Ryosuke KAKU  (Thoracic Surgery)
Assistant Professor:  Yasuo KONDO  (Cardiovascular Surgery) 
Assistant Professor:  Kazuki HAYASHI  (Thoracic Surgery) ) 
Assistant Professor:  Fumihiro MIYASHITA  (Cardiovascular Surgery) 

Outline of the department

The Ist department of surgery, general and gastrointestinal surgery, and the IInd 
department of surgery, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, were founded as 
surgical divisions of Shiga University of Medical Science in 1975. In 2002, 
the two departments were integrated into a Department of Surgery composed of 4 
subdivisions (Cardiovascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Gastrointestinal 
surgery and General surgery). Each subdivision comprises chief manager and the 
staffs of a specialty and the residents.
The outlines of each subdivision are the followings.

1) Service of cardiovascular surgery has focused on surgical treatments of 
heart diseases and vascular diseases. As we go into the new millennium, we are 
faced with increasing challenges, such as older and sicker patients with more 
advanced multi organ diseases. Currently our clinical practice is mainly 
concentrating on ischemic heart diseases, valvular heart diseases and vascular 
diseases. 
The techniques and methodology of off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) has 
been well established in our service and we have been known as one of the 
leading facilities in this field. The development of the new method for 
harvesting graft conduits (GEA), and the application of the new ultrasonic 
device are also well recognized.
The valvular procedures are actively performed, especially the reconstruction 
of the mitral valve with geometric considerations. Complex valve operations 
and extensive aortic surgery are also performed with steady protection of the 
heart and the brain. Including described above, the number of major 
cardiovascular operations are reaching over 200 cases. Our effort are 
presently directing to pursue ""Super Fast Track"" recovery with ultimate 
minimally invasiveness of surgical procedures.

2) Thoracic surgery covers primary and metastatic lung cancers, mediastinal 
tumors, chest wall tumors, pulmonary bullous diseases (pneumothoraces, giant 
bullae, and pulmonary emphysema), pectus excavatum and respiratory tract 
constrictions, etc. When the therapy for lung cancer is selected, QOL of a 
patient is esteemed most. Minimally invasive surgery (including a 
thoracoscopic surgery) or the reduction operations are adopted according to 
adaptation criteria. To the advance malignant cases, chemotherapy and 
radiotherapy are performed before operation, and it is striving for 
improvement in the rate of complete excision. To the case with an inadequate 
lung function, the thorax formation way (a method preventing a dislocation of 
residual lung) was enforced simultaneously with lobectomy to maintenance a 
good lung function. Adoptive cell transfer of activated autologous lymphocytes 
(highly advanced medical treatment specified by the Ministry of Health, Labor 
and Welfare) is enforced to the non-respectable lung cancer, to the example of 
a recurrence and to the malignant pleurisy cases. Minimal invasive surgery 
using thoracosope with or without the help of hand assist (HATS hand assisted 
thoracoscopic surgery) is also introducing to the metastatic lung tumors, 
mediastinal tumors, and pneumothoraces. To the respiratory tract constriction, 
laser cauterization, balloon dilatation or various stents are used properly. 
Nuss operation is selected to pectus excavatum, which is a new minimally 
invasive technique and shows an excellent cosmetic reform effect. Endoscopic 
thoracic sympathetic nerve interception is adapted to palmer hyperhidrosis and 
upper-limbs blood circulation obstacle and good result has been obtained.

3) Gastrointestinal surgery covers digestive tract and hepato-biliary-
pancreatic surgery. Many leading operations using new techniques have been 
applied since quite early in this division, especially ileocolon or jejunal 
pouch interposition after total gastrectomy, pylorus preserving subtotal 
gastrectomy, pylorus preserving pancreatic duodenectomy, super low anterior 
dissection for rectal cancer that avoids stoma. Laparoscopic surgery is 
introducing actively as a minimal invasive surgery in recent years. We tried 
to select more appropriate therapy including surgical and/or chemo-radio 
therapy according to a degree of a cancer progression as for the malignant 
tumors. 

4) General Surgery covers mainly breast and pediatric surgrey and several diseases that a surgeon must be known 
generally (ex. inguinal herniation, hemorrhoid, subcutaneous tumor, etc). 
Regarding to the breast cancer, mastectomy with lymph node dissection have 
been indicated to the advanced cases. Recently, breast conservative operation 
with wide resection of tumor, which aimed for the cosmetic beauty, or trial of 
reserving the level of lymph node dissection on the basis of the diagnosis of 
sentinel lymph nodes biopsy is carried out to the cases of the early stage 
breast cancer. 
 This subdivision provide for the resident supervised surgical training, which 
encourages gradual development of clinical and operative skills. At the end of 
the postgraduate program in General Surgery , the resident should be a 
competent clinical surgeon who is qualified to practice in a variety of 
clinical settings.

e-mail:
Department of Surgery: mtani@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
Cardiovascular Surgery: suzukit@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
Thoracic surgery: hanaoka@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
Gastrointestinal surgery: mtani@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
General surgery: tsuyo@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp