Brought HIPEC to Chicago Area
Salti has been performing the cytoreduction/HIPEC procedure for abdominal cancers since 2001 – longer than anyone else in the Chicago area. His expertise offers hope to dozens of patients who qualify for the procedure each year.
The procedure combines surgery with a heated chemotherapy wash of the abdominal cavity to eliminate both visible tumor growth and microscopic cancer cells.
The challenging procedure has gained acceptance in recent years as the most effective tool against certain abdominal cancers, including peritoneal mesothelioma.
Some mesothelioma survivors, who once were expected to live less than 18 months after diagnosis, are living five to 10 years and beyond.
“It is not for everyone. Patients must be properly selected,” Salti said. “But we hope that all patients are referred to a surgeon familiar with the procedure, and not just assume they are unresectable, and can’t have surgery.”
The procedure is used most often with colorectal or appendix cancers. It also is used with certain types of ovarian cancer, gastric cancers, peritoneal carcinomatosis and mesothelioma.
Salti is one of the few surgeons in the state who treats late-stage cancers with HIPEC. He also helped establish a HIPEC clinical data registry at the Edward Cancer Center. It tracks patients through the rest of their lives, collecting data to continue improving the procedure.
“HIPEC has improved the survival rate for some cancers,” he said. “It may provide relief of symptoms. We have patients out there for years now that have seen no recurrence.”
Salti worked previously with University Surgical Consultants. He graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and he did his residency and fellowship at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
He is a member of the American Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Association, American Society of Peritoneal Surface Malignancy, American Society of Breast Surgeons, Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons and Society of Melanoma Research.
