NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., December 6, 2016 --- Underscoring its commitment to innovation in women’s health, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian announced it has named Nirav Savalia, M.D., to serve as Director of Oncoplastic and Aesthetic Breast Surgery.

Oncoplastic surgery combines plastic surgery techniques with evidence-based cancer removal principles to leave women both tumor-free and whole. Dr. Savalia, who is also a clinical assistant professor of surgery at Keck School of Medicine of USC, developed novel techniques in oncoplastic surgery that have been presented nationally.

“Dr. Savalia is a highly skilled, dedicated surgeon who understands the complexity of cancer treatment from a physiological, psychological and aesthetic standpoint. He is a champion of women’s health and is a great leader,” said Melvin J. Silverstein, M.D., Hoag Breast Center Medical Director and the Gross Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery. “We are excited to have him direct our efforts at Hoag.”

Board certified in plastic surgery, Dr. Savalia is a firm believer in helping women maintain their breasts while working to rid their bodies of cancer. His goal, he said, is to educate women against the rising tide of unnecessary mastectomies that have become the default mode for too many cancer patients.

“Women have so many treatment options, including lumpectomies and oncoplastic surgery to remove cancerous tumors while achieving optimal cosmetic and oncologic results. It is surprising that mastectomy is still the default surgical option for breast cancer treatment,” Dr. Savalia said. “Hoag has long championed options that benefit women’s health. It is very exciting to me to be a part of this progressive, patient-centered team.”

In his new role, Dr. Savalia will lead the development of a comprehensive breast reconstruction program at Hoag, developing a reconstruction database to track and study outcomes. He will also train USC breast fellows on oncoplastic surgery.

A respected surgeon who has published several peer-reviewed papers about innovative surgical techniques, Dr. Savalia offers a level of professionalism and expertise that patients expect of Hoag.

“Dr. Savalia is able to communicate what too few surgeons do, which is that breast cancer doesn’t have to ‘win’ the war against a woman’s body,” Dr. Silverstein said. “His level of skill, innovation and commitment to patients makes us proud to call Dr. Savalia one of our own.”

ABOUT HOAG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PRESBYTERIAN

Hoag is an approximately $1 billion nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 27,000 inpatients and 379,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals – Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to seven health centers and ten urgent care centers. Hoag is a designated Magnet^® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and two ambulatory surgical centers. In 2013, Hoag entered into an alliance with St. Joseph Health to further expand health care services in the Orange County community, known as St. Joseph Hoag Health. Hoag has been named one of the Best Regional Hospitals in the 2016 - 2017 U.S. News & World Report, andBecker’s Hospital Review named Hoag as one of the 2016 “100 Great Hospitals in America” – a designation Hoag has received four times. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County’s most preferred hospital for the past 20 consecutive years and, for an unprecedented 21 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.

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To download the official press release, please click here.