Dr. Daniel Farrugia, MD is a breast surgery specialist in Crystal Lake, IL and has been practicing for 21 years. He graduated from University of Malta / Medical School in 1997 and specializes in breast surgery, breast oncology, and more.Read his story
Centegra Gavers Breast Center
360 N Terra Cotta Rd Ste C
Crystal Lake, IL 60012
(815) 455-2752
Insurance Accepted
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Cigna
- Humana
- Tricare
- UnitedHealthCare
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Dr. Farrugia's Experience
Dr. Farrugia's experience matches your search based on the following criteria:
- Based on total number of patients treated over the last 12 months
- Specializes in Breast Surgery
- Board certified in General Surgery
- No malpractice claims found
- No sanctions found
- No board actions found
Dr. Farrugia's bio
This content was provided by Dr. Farrugia "I have always been fascinated with breast cancer, at first because I was struck by its high mortality in Southern Europe, where I was born. After finishing medical school, I realized that with the recent advances in genetics, our fight against cancer was soon going to be shaped by these new genetic insights. This led me to come to the United States and pursue a Ph.D. in breast cancer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota where I worked with the co-discoverer of the BRCA1 breast cancer gene, Dr. Fergus Couch. During this time, I obtained research grant funding from the U.S. Department of Defense which put my research on a national scale. I then completed a General Surgery Residency where I was trained in the full breadth of open and laparoscopic surgery. I was drawn to cancer surgery since it necessitates a strong personal connection with the patient that is long term. Breast surgery, in particular, is a specialty that requires significant compassion for the sick patient, especially since women fear breast cancer more than any other disease, and the associated stress can severely impact quality of life. Breast Surgery also necessitates several skills, including using state of the art technology for accurate diagnosis and treatment, and performing the right operation with a strive for excellent cosmetic result. In effect, it is as much a science as it is an art. Subsequently, I completed subspecialty fellowship training in Breast Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of the leading breast cancer programs in the country, and home to the NSABP trials that shaped modern breast cancer care. I was trained in the newest techniques of breast cancer surgery and in the multidisciplinary aspects that constitute modern breast cancer care. At UPMC, I had the opportunity to perform further research in breast cancer. In fact, this research led to a Conquer Cancer Merit Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology at their annual congress in Chicago. A fellowship in breast surgery constitutes additional training for a general surgeon following a five-year surgical residency. It includes extensive training in the surgical treatment of both breast cancer and benign breast disease, obtaining the skills to perform the newest breast surgery techniques. The aim of modern breast surgery is not just to take out the cancer safely, but also to do so accurately, and to obtain the best cosmetic result achievable. During breast surgery fellowship, the surgeon also gets significant exposure to the other specialties that work together to take care of the woman with breast cancer, such as radiology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, breast pathology, genetic counselling and survivorship. Besides arming you with the knowledge and skills to provide cutting-edge breast cancer care, the fellowship's goal is to emerge as a breast surgeon who is a leader in the field and positioned to lead breast programs locally or nationally. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of my work is to see a patient come in for their first visit certain they are going to die from breast cancer, and seeing their perspective change over the course of our interaction, realizing that breast cancer is in most cases curable and no longer a mutilating disease. It is very heartening to see a patient not just become disease free, but see them become empowered with a strong motivation to live life to the fullest."
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Care Philosophy
This content was provided by Dr. Farrugia "No matter how routine a problem may seem to a trained surgeon, it is life changing for the patient out of fear of the diagnosis and how it is going to change their life. My goal is to champion the humanity behind the disease through empathy and understanding, recognizing the inner fight in every patient against the physical and psychological stresses that disease brings. Besides delivering state of the art surgical care, I strive to provide each patient with some sense of peace, lessen their fear and diminish their suffering. To accomplish this, I place great priority on my availability to provide unhurried consultation, reassurance, and emotional support. My overarching philosophy is to treat every patient as if I was treating my own family and return each patient to a life they love living – nobody deserves less than that."
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5 Specialties
- Breast Surgery
- Breast Oncology
- Breast Reconstruction Surgery
- Breast Surgical Oncology
- General Surgery
1 Board Certifications
- General SurgeryAccredited by: American Board of Physician Specialties*
8 Conditions Treated
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Cancer During Pregnancy
- Breast Cancer Recurrence
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Duct Papilloma
- Breast Fibroadenoma
- Breast Infections
- Breast Tumor
12 Procedures
- Biopsy of Breast
- Breast Cancer Surgery
- Breast Cancer Treatment
- Breast Surgical Procedure
- Core Needle Biopsy of Breast
- Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Breast
- Mammotome® Breast Biopsy
- Mastectomy
- Nipple Reconstruction
- Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
- Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy
- Ultrasound-Guided Breast Biopsy
Background Check
0 Malpractice Claims
No malpractice history found for Illinois.
0 Sanctions
No sanctions history found for the years that Healthgrades collects data.
0 Board Actions
No board actions found for the years that Healthgrades collects data.
Education
- University of Malta / Medical SchoolMedical School | Graduated 1997
- Mayo Clinic-RochesterInternship Hospital | Completed
- University of FloridaResidency Hospital | Completed
- Hospitals of the University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterFellowship Hospital | Completed
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of MedicineOther Education | Completed
Awards & Recognition
Awards & Honors
- Healthgrades Honor Roll
Media & Publications
Dr. Farrugia has no media or publications listed.
Languages Spoken
- English
Memberships & Professional Affiliations
Dr. Farrugia does not have any memberships or affiliations listed. If you are Dr. Farrugia and would like to add memberships or affiliations, please update your profile.
Dr. Farrugia's Reviews
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14 total reviews (11 have comments)
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Patient Comments (11)