Oliver Zivanovic, MD, PhD

I am a gynecologic oncology surgeon specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers of the uterus, cervix, ovary, and vulva.

I have a particular interest in cytoreductive (or debulking) surgery for patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The goal of cytoreductive surgery is to remove as much visible disease as possible, making the tumor more responsive to chemotherapy and improving treatment success. I am also interested in minimally invasive procedures (laparoscopy and robotics) for patients with gynecologic malignancies or complex benign gynecologic conditions; and in risk-reducing surgery in patients who have a familial risk for breast/ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer.

The main focus of my research has been to establish and evaluate the role of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) for patients with ovarian cancer. HIPEC delivers heated chemotherapy into the abdominal cavity, where it penetrates the diseased tissue directly.