Medical School: University of Jordan
Internship: Johns Hopkins University- School of Medicine
Residency: Johns Hopkins University- School of Medicine, General Surgery
Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine, Complex General Surgical Oncology and advanced Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Fellowship
Certifications and Accreditations:
Special Interests: Conducting minimally invasive robotic surgery to treat various conditions and cancers, including pancreatic and liver cancer. He also has a special focus on pancreas cysts and early detection of pancreas cancer. Additionally, Dr. Al Efishat performed the first HIPEC surgery in Baton Rouge and continues to grow the HIPEC surgery program at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, which treats various late-stage GI tumors with peritoneal carcinomatosis (spread to the lining of the abdomen and other organs).
I am a board-certified surgical oncologist, who specializes in the care of patients with pancreas tumors, liver tumors, gallbladder, and bile duct tumors, as well as various abdominal tumors, melanoma, and breast. I have completed my residency training in General Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and I continued my training there for a dual fellowship in Complex Surgical Oncology and advanced Hepatopancreatobiliary surgery.
I believe that every cancer patient should be promptly treated in a multidisciplinary approach involving a team of surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and other specialists as well as nurse navigators and research coordinators, and this entire team fosters a personalized state-of-the-art cancer care that keeps the patient at the center of every medical decision, and not only treat their cancer but also attend to their physical, nutritional, emotional, psychological and financial needs throughout the treatment journey
My passion is caring for cancer patients of all types, with special focus on pancreatic cancer. I perform pancreas surgery for advanced pancreatic tumors, I also perform robotic pancreas surgery, including robotic Whipple surgery; which allow for a smoother recovery, decreased pain and wound complications and a shorter hospital stay. I also see patients with benign pancreatic tumors or cysts, which often require close surveillance to catch any changes that would warrant surgical resection in order to prevent progression to cancer.
I also have special interest in Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) for peritoneal surface malignancies, these are tumors that have spread beyond their organ of origin (e.g., colon and appendix tumors) into the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). This surgery offers a chance for cure for some advanced tumors that are traditionally non-responsive to traditional therapies.
I am honored to be board-certified in both General Surgery as well as Complex Surgical Oncology by the American Board of Surgery, and proud to be an active fellow of the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and the Americas Hepato-pancreato-biliary Association (AHPBA), as well as an associate fellow of the of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). I have published numerous studies and book chapters on various important topics in cancer surgery and serve as an assistant professor of Clinical Surgery at Louisiana State University (LSU).
My relationship with cancer is both professional and personal; I became a cancer surgeon because it is a fascinating specialty that demands advanced technical skills and allows me the privilege of caring for cancer patients with complex tumors, give them a chance for cure, improve their quality of life and enable them to go back to enjoying their lives with their loved ones. On a personal level, I come from a family affected by cancer, I lost some of my loved ones for cancer and watched close family members fight it and beat it, like many of our patients bravely do every day.
Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, swimming, golfing, and dining with family and friends.
