POTSDAM, NY – Board certified general surgeon Michael Oakley, MD, FACS, has joined the Canton-Potsdam Hospital medical team. He has an office at the Leroy Outpatient Center, 50 Leroy Street in Potsdam; and at the EJ Noble Professional Building, 80 East Main Street in Canton.
Dr. Oakley is American Board of Surgery certified, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS). He earned his medical degree at Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, Portland, OR; and completed his General Surgery residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY.
Dr. Oakley comes to St. Lawrence Health with extensive experience in performing robotic surgery. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, and American Society of Breast Surgeons, as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at SUNY Upstate, and a Clinical Instructor with Clarkson University’s Physician Assistant program.
“It was my great pleasure to put the first da Vinci surgical robot in place in the North Country back in 2016. With hundreds of cases performed during that tenure, I am very excited to be introducing robotics into the growing St. Lawrence Health system,” Dr. Oakley said.
“The benefits to patients are now well known across our community, and I am very excited to broaden this access with our newest platform at Canton-Potsdam Hospital,” he said of the da Vinci Xi. “We will begin introducing robotic general surgery procedures this month that include minimally invasive gallbladder surgery, complex hernia work, and colon cancer surgery. In the near future, we anticipate welcoming gynecology, ear/nose/throat, and urology procedures as well.”
The introduction of robotic surgery through St. Lawrence Health represents the ongoing drive to provide the most advanced skilled care to meet the needs of the North Country community.
“By enhancing access to this surgical option, patients will no longer need to travel to a major city for these procedures. Patients can benefit from the region's wealth of skilled and talented medical providers, all of whom are working together to improve the region's healthcare system,” Dr. Oakley said.
