Lana Bijelic, Clinical oncologist

Dr. Lana Bijelic is a surgical oncologist and expert in peritoneal carcinomatosis with over 1,300 surgeries performed. She completed specialization under Prof. Paul Sugarbaker, who pioneered the Sugarbaker technique for abdominal cancers. Dr. Bijelic holds American Board of Surgery certification and serves patients at Centro Médico Teknon.

Specialization and Surgical Focus

The specialist treats advanced abdominal malignancies. She performs Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) to treat cancer cells remaining after surgery. HIPEC involves delivering heated chemotherapy drugs directly into the abdomen during surgery. Her expertise includes treating rectal cancer, sigmoid adenocarcinoma, and small intestine cancer.

Additionally, she treats metastases in the liver through resection techniques. Resection is the surgical removal of all or part of an organ. These methods help clear cancerous growths from the hepatic tissue.

Advanced Procedures

• Gastroectomy and stomach cancer surgery
• Laparoscopic mesorectumectomy
• Colectomy (large bowel resection)
• Lymphadenectomy
• Primary and metastatic liver tumor removal

Academic and Professional Roles

Dr. Bijelic has held leadership and teaching positions in American institutions. She joined the Teknon Oncology Institute’s Carcinomatosis Surgical Group in 2019. Previously, she directed surgical research at Inova Fairfax Hospital in the USA. Her academic career also includes roles at Georgetown University and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Professional History

• 2017–2019 – Associate Professor of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, USA
• 2015–2019 – Research Director, Department of Surgery, Inova Fairfax Hospital, USA
• 2013–2015 – Curator, General Surgery Resident Training Program, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, USA
• 2010–2015 – Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, Georgetown University School of Medicine, USA

Education and Certification

• 1997 – National Scholarship for Gifted Students, Croatia (top 5% of university students)
• 2001 – Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Certification
• 2006 – American Board of Surgery Certification
• Specialization Training – Medstar Washington Hospital Center under Prof. Paul Sugarbaker

Awards and Recognition

• 2006 – Chairman's Leadership Award, Washington Hospital Center
• 2006 – First Place, Research Contest, Washington Hospital Center
• 2005 – Academic Achievement Award, Department of Surgery, Washington Hospital Center
• 2005 – Thumbs Up Award for Outstanding Trauma Team Leader
• 2005 – First Place, Research Contest, Washington Hospital Center
• 2003, 2004 – John M Keshishian Award for Surgical Excellence

Memberships

• American College of Surgeons
• Society of Surgical Oncology
• International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
• Surgical Outcomes Club
• American Society of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies
• Pancreas Club