Llaguna Omar H

About Me

I am a surgical oncologist at Memorial Healthcare System. I treat patients with a variety of conditions including gastrointestinal cancers (including of the pancreas, gallbladder, liver, appendix, etc.) melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas and peritoneal malignancies. I also provide hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and perform robotic surgery.

I decided to pursue a career as a surgical oncologist after my father's battle with rectal cancer. My experiences as a caregiver gave me insight into the significance of a good physician-patient relationship and I was heartened by the care my father received. I developed a great admiration for his physician's ability to verbalize both good and bad news, neither giving unrealistic hope nor losing faith. It was only as I watched my father struggle with illness that I truly appreciated the impact that a physician can make on the lives of patients and caregivers.

To this day, each patient interaction prompts a brief memory of my father and his fight with cancer. These very same memories inspire me to strive for excellence not only in honor of his memory, but for the thousands of memories still to be made by my patients with their loved ones.

At Memorial, it's a team effort to provide each patient with an appropriate, individualized plan for each patient. Our medical teams (including medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, etc.) work closely together along with patients and their families to figure out the best options for each unique situation.

My goal is for every patient to walk away understanding our plan of action, why it's best for them, and how he or she can help the plan succeed. I also want them to feel confident in their decision to pursue their treatment with the Memorial team and myself. We're a team and we're in this journey together.

In addition to providing patient care, I am also assistant professor of surgery at Florida International University's Wertheim College of Medicine. At Memorial, I'm also assisting in the development of the new general surgery program surgical oncology curriculum, which will include several research efforts.

Languages

Spanish

Education

Ross University School of Medicine, 2004

Internships

Maimonides Medical Center, 2006, Surgery

Residency

Beth Israel Medical Center, 2009, Surgery
Maimonides Medical Center, 2006, Surgery

Fellowships

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2011

Certifications

American Board of Surgery-Surgery

Awards, Achievements, and More

Professional Organizations

Society of Surgical Oncology
American College of Surgeons
Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
American Society of Peritoneal Surface Malignancy

Presentations

Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in the Management of GI Malignancies, Baptist Health International, 2019
Pancreatic cancer: A review of its management and recent advances, Medical Association of the Bahamas (MAB) 45th Annual Scientific Conference, 2017
Surgical management of gastric cancer, Baptist Health International, 2015
The evolving role of robotic surgery in the management of gastrointestinal malignancies, Baptist Health International, 2014
History of robotic surgery and its application in the management of gastrointestinal cancers, Baptist Hospital Cancer Support Group, 2012
SILS hepatic cyst resection using the SPIDER surgical system. Strategic Laparoscopy for Improved Cosmesis Meeting, 2012
Utilization and morbidity associated with routine placement of a feeding jejunostomy at the time of gastro-esophageal resection. The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract Annual Meeting, 2011
Role of intraoperative radiation therapy in the management of locally recurrent rectal cancer. University of North Carolina, Department of General Surgery, Grand Rounds, 2011
Role of interventional radiology in the postoperative management f patients after surgery for recurrent and locally advanced colorectal cancer. South Eastern Surgical Congress Annual meeting, 2011
Oncologic outcomes following salvage resection with intraoperative electron radiation therapy in patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer. American Society of Clinical Oncology:
Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium, 2011. Society of Surgical Oncology 64th Annual Cancer Symposium, 2011
Colonic myotomy for restoration of rectal capacity following low anterior resection. American Society of Colorectal Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting, 2010

Awards

Top Doctor Award, 2018
Patients’ Choice Award, 2012
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Medical Student Teaching Award, 2009
Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons Outstanding Laparoscopy Resident Award, 2009
Beth Israel medical Center Surgical Resident Scholarly Achievement Award, 2008
Maimonides Medical Center Surgical Intern of the Year, 2005

Omar Llaguna, MD

Memorial Division of Surgical Oncology