Colorectal Cancer

Exceptional Care for Patients With Colorectal Conditions

The expert colorectal physicians & surgeons at Mount Sinai South Nassau specialize in traditional and advanced colonoscopies and laparoscopic colorectal surgery. At Mount Sinai South Nassau, we also offer comprehensive evaluation, medical management and treatment of all colorectal issues. At Mount Sinai South Nassau we offer:

Traditional screening and advanced colonoscopy, including:

• Chromoendoscopy and narrow band imaging endoscopy for flat polyp and dysplasia detection
  
• Endoluminal stenting for strictures of the colon and rectum
  
• Ablation of radiation-induced telangiectasia bleeding
  
• Giant polyp resection

Traditional and advanced laparoscopic colorectal surgery, including:

• Ultra-low sphincter-preserving rectal cancer surgery
  
• Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) resection for skin incision-free rectal tumor surgery
  
• Elective sigmoid resection for complex and/or recurring diverticulitis
  
• Surgery for complicated and/or medically refractory inflammatory bowel disease
  
• Single-access port surgery from the region's most experienced colorectal laparoscopists and robotic surgeons

Comprehensive medical and surgical care for benign anorectal disorders, including:

• Acute perirectal abscess and chronic anal fistula care
  
• Sphincter muscle-sparing alternatives to traditional anal fissure and fistula surgery
  
• Minimally invasive pilonidal surgery for primary and recurrent pilonidal disease
  
• Anal warts, tags and hidradenitis

Additional services, including:

• Comprehensive surgical oncologic care for all tumors of the colon, rectum and anus
  
• Medical and surgical treatment for all manifestations of diverticular disease
  
• Comprehensive evaluation, medical management, office treatment and surgical care of hemorrhoid symptoms
  
• Anatomic and physiologic evaluation of fecal incontinence, slow transit constipation, obstructed defecation and pelvic floor descent

For more information about Mount Sinai South Nassau’s colorectal services, please call (516) 632-3350.

Blood in Her Stool Was a Sign She Did Not Ignore

Althea Harry, 73, has colorectal cancer in her bloodline. After her mother was diagnosed with the disease in her 70s, Ms. Harry became more proactive about her health. In July of 2023 when she spotted blood in her stool, she knew it was time to act. 
After the Freeport resident’s gynecologist performed a rectal exam and noticed blood, she referred her to a gastroenterologist who found a suspicious rectal mass during a colonoscopy.

After speaking with her Mount Sinai South Nassau primary care physician, Neal Soskel, DO, he referred the accountant to Frank Caliendo, MD, Director of Colorectal Surgery at the hospital, who confirmed the suspicious growth was stage II rectal cancer—a disease that now accounts for nearly one third of all colorectal cancer diagnoses, according to the American Cancer Society.

“In that moment, everything changed,” the grandmother recalled. “The impact on me and my family was devastating.”

Dr. Caliendo recommended she consult with Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Leester Wu, MD, Director of Radiation Oncology, and oncologist Abhinav Rohatgi, MD, for radiation and chemotherapy treatment.

Months later, on June 5, 2004, Dr. Caliendo removed the diseased section of Ms. Harry’s lower bowel, reconnected the remaining healthy parts of the intestine, and created a temporary opening or ostomy in the abdomen so that waste exits into a bag outside the body.  Luckily, her rectal cancer had not spread. By September of 2024, he reversed her ostomy, marking the completion of her treatment.

“While a diagnosis of stage II rectal cancer is never easy to hear, her case was identified at a point where we had very effective treatment options,” Dr. Caliendo said. “Her body responded exactly the way we hoped it would and follow-up evaluations show no evidence of disease. Based on everything we’re seeing, her prognosis is excellent.”

Ms. Harry’s story is one of vigilance. Every year, she undergoes a colonoscopy, every three months, she has blood tests, and twice a year she follows up with Dr. Caliendo.

Today, she remains cancer-free and credits her compassionate medical teams for her survival.

“Because of the caring attitude of Dr. Caliendo and how he addressed my problem, I didn’t feel I needed another opinion,” Ms. Harry said. “He made me feel like we are going through this together and that I can conquer this…It was a pleasant journey because of the people I encountered in the office and at the hospital.”

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Our experienced team of board-certified physicians and staff
National certifications for care and quality
Gertrude & Louis Feil Cancer Center in Valley Stream