Dr. Mark Anthony Malias, MD

Let me start off by saying I thought Dr Malias was easy to talk to and I believed he was qualified in what he was about to do. He was a local doctor for me verses traveling 3 hours to the cancer center. He was also able to preform my surgery ASAP verses the 2-3 month wait at cancer center. He did request for me to go to Moffitt Cancer Center for a second opinion and indicated in conversation that he felt they would agree with the direction and planned coarse he had in mind. Moffitt's standard protocol would be a lobectomy. Day of surgery I was either going to have my whole lung removed, a lobectomy, or wedge resection or nothing. Long story short, I received a wedge resection with clear margins, due to lymph nodes outside of lung on same side having cancer cells. Im still not sure why a Lobectomy was not preformed given it was standard protocol at a Cancer Center regardless. Why send someone for a second opinion if the opinion won't matter anyway. I have had that Cancer center… question me about why the surgeon didn't remove lobe. I have also had other doctors in the cancer world question me as well, and also ask why the 2 lymph nodes in lower lobe were not removed. There is nothing worse than to have other doctors question why the doctor you placed your confidence in did or didn't do certain things in regards to your situation. As the patient it makes you question if you got the best of care. As a Thoracic Surgeon Dr Malias has preformed many heart surgeries, but I do not think he has preformed many Lung surgeries and was not as up to snuff on the standards. I know my overall survival would be far greater had he removed the 2 lymph nodes in lower lobe even with the wedge resection. Unfortunately I can not change what has already happened, and have moved forward with a new team of doctors in my home state. It would be my opinion when dealing with Cancer, to go through a Cancer Center even if its inconvenient especially for surgery. Its what they specialize in.

I met Dr. Malias three years ago when my older brother was notified that he needed emergency bypass surgery. What I noticed about Dr. Malias is that he had an exceptional bedside manner and was able to deliver very difficult news in a empathetic fashion. I was thoroughly impressed. My brother recovered fully and has expanded his horizons with travels abroad. Amazing! Last week my younger brother was admitted to ICU under emergency circumstances with the same ailment and Dr. Malias was once again called to the rescue. My brother was treated with the same respect by Dr. Malias and the entire staff at IRMC and is on his way to recovery. My family is Grateful for the knowledge, experience and compassion Dr. Malias provided. We are counting our Blessings!!

Terrible

My father needed an unexpected bypass surgery, and Dr. Malias was recommended to us by a doctor in our hometown about an hour away. We drove imaging films to his Vero office on a Thursday morning and were met by Gary, one his his PAs, who is extraordinarily kind and knowledgable. The same day, Dr Malias and his office were able to have my father transported to their hospital to perform his CABG the next morning! Dr Malias and his staff actually ended up doing a quadruple bypass--one artery was 99 percent blocked but in a difficult spot and very small, and he was even able to reach that--along with a Maze procedure for atrial flutter. Dr. Malias is a true professional, his staff is tremendous, and they genuinely care about the well-being of their patients. You are in GREAT hands with this doctor.