Stephen DeSantis, MD, FACS
General Surgery
Dr. DeSantis, General Surgeon, joined Madera Medical Staff after 31 years of general and trauma surgery in Orange County, California. Dr. DeSantis is a member of The American Society of Breast Surgeons a 2017 Healthgrades 5-Star recipient. Sensitive to the emotional and physical trauma of Breast Cancer Surgery, Dr. DeSantis, along with an ice hockey friend, designed & patented an illuminated retractor allowing surgeons to move their incisions to hidden locations. The procedure is called, “Hidden Scar” and the technique is being adopted worldwide for lumpectomies and mastectomies.
In addition to hiding the scar for mastectomies, in some cases the Invuity Retractor also allows the surgeon to spare the breast nipple. “By performing Hidden Scar Breast Cancer Surgery, surgeons effectively treat the cancer, preserve the natural shape of the breast and leave no visible reminder of the procedure,” Stephen DeSantis, MD.
The surgical retractor invented and patented by Dr. DeSantis not only allows
for safe, less-invasive treatment of breast cancer, it also helps patients
overcome the emotional trauma of this major surgery. Dr. DeSantis' fellow
surgeons at Madera Community Hospital were thrilled to receive two sets
of the surgical retractors (valued at $30,000) as a donation from Invuity,
Inc., the San Francisco-based manufacturer of the device.
