Alaska Surgical Group

Alaska Surgical Group was founded as Alaska Surgical Oncology about 10 years ago in Anchorage, Alaska in 2014 by Charles Portera, MD — a board-certified and fellowship-trained general surgeon. Dr. Portera has performed more than 10,000 successful surgeries over more than 20 years of experience as a general surgeon and surgical oncologist. He completed his fellowship in surgical oncology and cancer biology at the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center, which is one of the top cancer referral centers in the world. This training makes Dr. Portera well qualified to deal with the surgical removal of cancerous and noncancerous tumors. A fellowship is the highest level of medical training in the U.S.
Before coming to Alaska about 10 years ago, Dr. Portera had an active general surgery practice in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he developed a very successful surgical oncology practice that attracted patients from across the Tennessee and Georgia region.

Despite a busy surgical practice in Tennessee, Dr. Portera as an avid outdoorsman, always wanted to live and finish his medical career in Alaska where he could enjoy hunting and fishing. Dr. Portera relocated to Anchorage, Alaska in 2014 with his wife Melissa of over 20 years of marriage, and their three children Carol Ann, Mary, and Luke.

The new Alaska Surgical Oncology practice in Anchorage began attracting patients by plane from across the State of Alaska. With a specialization in breast cancer surgery, Dr. Portera observed that many women were having unnecessarily drastic breast surgeries to remove breast cancer. Because he specialized in breast preservation surgery, which enables many women to remove cancer while retaining the natural appearance of the breast, he founded the Alaska Breast Center.

In 2018, Dr. Portera recognized a similar need for a specialized approach for the surgical correction of hernia and created the Alaska Hernia Center which features Dr. Victoria Murdock who specializes in DaVinci robotic surgery and laparoscopic surgery through much smaller incisions than other general surgeons. Today patients come to Alaska Hernia Center from across the State of Alaska.

Alaska Surgical Group subsequently was created as the umbrella group practice name over Alaska Surgical Oncology, Alaska Breast Center and Alaska Hernia Center.

Alaska Surgical Group addresses all types of general surgery using the most advanced surgical options including:

  • Minimally invasive general surgery that reduces the length of incision, lessens time in the hospital
    Laparoscopic surgery where the surgeon repairs and addresses internal problems through small one-inch-long incisions by using instruments the width of a ball point pen. These instruments have cameras in the tip and cutting tools.
  • DaVinci Robotic Surgery: This new advance in surgery enables surgeons to perform operations through tiny small incisions. The Da Vinci System features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and tiny wristed instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human hand. The system magnified vision system gives surgeons a 3D high-definition view inside the patient’s body.

General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal contents including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland. Our general surgeons perform endoscopic procedures involving the skin, breast, tissue, trauma, vascular and hernia.

The general surgeons at Alaska Surgical Group have extensive knowledge and familiarity with a wide range of conditions that require surgical treatment. They perform operations or procedures for conditions affecting the digestive tract, abdomen, breast skin and soft tissue; trauma and burn cases, vascular conditions etc. Alaska Surgical Group addresses diagnosis within the body, including: esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, rectum, abdomen, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, breast, skin and soft tissue, and endocrine system.

Alaska Surgical Group is a specialty practice that combines compassionate care with advanced surgical treatment. We interface closely with your family practice or internal medicine physician, including all associated specialists that may be involved in your diagnosis and treatment plan. This can include other specialists like plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons that address issues with scarring and optimal recovery from surgery.

Most surgical procedures are performed endoscopically or through the latest minimally invasive techniques.