Expanding the capabilities of the robotic pancreatic surgery program within the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Surgery, new arrival Atsushi Oba, MD, PhD, brings more than 15 years of surgical experience in Japan. His resume also includes a year’s worth of experience as a research associate in the CU Department of Surgery, from 2019 to 2020, working with Marco Del Chiaro, MD, PhD, division chief of surgical oncology and clinical director of the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Program at UCHealth.
“Dr. Del Chiaro is a recognized top surgeon around the world, and when I was a fellow at the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research in Tokyo, my professors had a good connection with him,” Oba says. “Thanks to this connection, I had the great chance to visit and work with him and to publish several papers with him. Even after I returned to Tokyo, we continued working together on a multicenter collaborative study that includes the United States, Europe, and Asian countries.”
Del Chiaro says he is thrilled to welcome his former mentee to the department, calling him a “rising star” in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery.
“Dr. Oba brings outstanding expertise in the surgical treatment of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma and minimally invasive HPB surgery,” Del Chiaro says. “In addition to his surgical and clinical expertise, Dr. Oba is an outstanding researcher and teacher. He is a crucial recruitment for the Division of Surgical Oncology.”
Like Del Chiaro, Oba is interested not just in using surgery to treat a pancreatic cancer patient, but in how surgery is part of a larger treatment plan that can include chemotherapy and/or radiation prior to and after surgery.
“Surgery alone is not enough,” Oba says. “Surgery should be part of a multidisciplinary approach, and I'm very passionate to optimize our multidisciplinary treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. My goal is to continue to improve our skills, and at the same time improve the outcome of multidisciplinary treatment.”
Oba’s interest in treating pancreatic cancer began when he was a medical student. He met a pancreatic cancer patient during a bedside rotation and was struck by how few treatment options existed at the time.
“Many pancreatic cancer patients are very healthy, active, and careful about their lifestyle, yet one day, they were suddenly diagnosed with this fatal disease,” Oba says. “Almost 20 years ago, we had very few effective treatments we could offer. At that time, I decided to dedicate my career to improving survival for patients with liver, pancreas, and bile duct cancer disease.”
In addition to robotic surgery, including the Whipple procedure — in which a surgeon removes the pancreas head, gallbladder, duodenum, and part of the bile duct— Oba is performing robotic liver resections and aggressive open surgeries, including vascular surgery, on challenging cases that are not good candidates for robotic surgery.
“I'm also doing a lot of laparoscopic surgery, which is a unique surgery in the United States, because robotic surgery is so dominant here right now,” he says. “Laparoscopic hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery will be one of my unique specialties here.”
When he was in high school, Oba says, his proficiency in math and science pointed him toward a career in medicine. Once he entered the field, however, he found that working with patients was his favorite part of the job.
“The beauty of being a physician is the opportunity to work closely with people,” he says. “While research and laboratory work are essential parts of medicine, I especially value the direct interaction between medical staff and patients.”
He is also passionate about teaching the next generation of surgeons — including residents and fellows — and conducting research looking for new biomarkers that will improve treatment for pancreatic cancer patients. He says he is excited to bring his unique background to the CU surgery department.
“The United States is the top country in the world to do research and do medicine,” Oba says. “Still, I'm from a different culture, different background, so I can bring some new ideas. That kind of connection and collaboration will boost our studies and improve treatment. This is one of my missions.”