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Dr. Vijay Nuthakki, MD

Bio

As a board-certified thoracic surgeon, Vijay Nuthakki, MD, provides comprehensive diagnostic, therapeutic and palliative treatment to patients with diseases of the lungs, airway, chest wall, mediastinum, esophagus and diaphragm. He has a high level of surgical experience with minimally invasive techniques, such as VATS (thoracoscopic) and robotic procedures related to the above conditions. (02/11)


Specialties:

Affiliation:

  • Aurora Health Care

Location:

Group Memberships:

Activity

  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    How can untreated reflux disease cause complications?
    Gastroesophageal reflux is commonly due to migration of acid from the stomach back up into the...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    How is lung cancer diagnosed?

    Lung cancer is usually diagnosed through different tests. X-rays and CT scans are common tests that can provide images of your lungs to see if any abnormalities are present. If there are abnormalities that are suspicious for cancer then a confirmation is needed with evaluation of tissue. Tissue can be

    ...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    How is lung cancer diagnosed?

    Lung cancer is usually diagnosed through different tests. X-rays and CT scans are common tests that can provide images of your lungs to see if any abnormalities are present. In other cases, if you have a cough with mucus or phlegm, your doctor may exam that to see if lung cancer cells are present.

    ...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    How does lung cancer impact the body?
    The effects lung cancer has on your body are associated with the location of the cancer and the degree to which the disease has advanced. General features may include unexplained weight loss and night sweats. If it has spread to other parts of your body, it can cause pain at those sites or neurological...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    How does lung cancer impact the body?

    The effects lung cancer has on your body are associated with the location of the cancer and the degree to which the disease has advanced. If the cancer is in one of the tubes that lead to the lungs, it may be harder for air to pass into and out of the lungs. If this occurs, the decreased air movement

    ...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    What is small cell lung cancer?
    Small cell lung cancer is the lesser common type of two types of lung cancer, the other being non-small cell lung cancer. In small cell lung cancer, cancer cells (also known as malignant cells) grow very quickly in the tissue of the lungs. Small cell lung cancer may form tumors in the lungs themselves...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    How is advanced lung cancer treated?
    There are several options available for dealing with advanced lung cancer. The oncologist can provide options on chemotherapy, and can also refer to a radiation oncologist for dealing with localized sites of pain (for example: pain in a rib due to tumor metastasis). There are several palliative t...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    How is radiation therapy used to treat lung cancer?
    Radiation therapy for lung cancer, also called radiotherapy, involves using specific doses of radiation to "kill" cancer cells. Radiation therapy is directed to a limited area and affects the cancer cells only in that area. It may be used before surgery to shrink a tumor, or after surgery to...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    What are the different types of surgery for lung cancer?
    There are several options for surgical treatment of lung cancer. The standard operation is a lobectomy and this can be performed via the standard thoracotomy or more recently with thoracoscopy. Based on the specifics of the tumor and its involvement, a pneumonectomy (removal of the entire...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    What are the different types of surgery for lung cancer?
    There are several options for surgical treatment of lung cancer. The standard operation is a lobectomy and this can be performed via the standard thoracotomy or more recently with thoracoscopy. Based on the specifics of the tumor and its involvement, a pneumonectomy (removal of the entire...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    What doctors and specialists treat lung cancer?
    The best lung cancer treatment requires a multidisciplinary team approach. Lung cancer patients benefit from multidisciplinary case reviews, which can include specialists from various disciplines.
    • Cancer Nurse Navigator: a registered nurse with special training who can help answer questions
    ...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    What types of tests are available to detect lung cancer?
    The tests and procedures that may be ordered by your doctor for diagnosis of lung cancer include:
    • Sputum cytology: A sample of phlegm (mucus you cough up from your lungs) is checked to see if cancer cells are present.
    • Chest x-ray: an x-ray of the organs and bones inside your chest.
    • Br
    ...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    How common is lung cancer?
    According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women. Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in both men (after prostate cancer) and women (after breast cancer). The average...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    What new lung cancer treatments are available?
    There are more minimally invasive techniques available to diagnose as well as resect lung cancer. In patients who cannot tolerate having a whole lobe removed, lesser resections may be feasible with placement of brachymesh to reduce local recurrence. There are several new chemotherapy drugs available...  Full Post
  • Vijay Nuthakki, MD
    Vijay Nuthakki, MD of Aurora Health Care answered:
    What new lung cancer treatments are available?
    There are more minimally invasive techniques available to diagnose as well as resect lung cancer. In patients who cannot tolerate having a whole lobe removed, lesser resections may be feasible with placement of brachymesh to reduce local recurrence. There are several new chemotherapy drugs available...  Full Post