Maine Medical Center
Surgeon washing his hands

Maine Medical Partners — Surgical Care Casco Bay

Maine Medical Partners – Surgical Care Casco Bay is a group of board-certified surgeons with expertise and experience using advanced techniques in very specific areas of surgical treatment and care. We focus exclusively on certain types of operations, offer the latest procedures and bring patients the most advanced care. Our specialties include minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopy and robotic surgery, allowing for quicker recovery times than open surgeries. Patients spend less time in the hospital and return to their activities – only better.

Our Surgeons

Maine Medical Partners – Surgical Care Casco Bay is part of the Maine Medical Center Department of Surgery. Our practice benefits from the clinical resources, comprehensive care and multi-disciplinary team approach at Maine Medical Center, the state's largest hospital. We partner and collaborate with recognized regional leaders in many areas within medicine, surgery and research, ensuring the highest quality care and treatment for our patients. Our surgeons are members of the teaching faculty of both the Tufts University School of Medicine – Maine Medical Center Program and Maine Medical Center’s own General Surgery Residency Training Program.

Contact Us

For more information or to make an appointment, please call 207-303-1000. Please contact your insurance carrier prior to your appointment to confirm coverage.

Specialties

All of our surgeons are board-certified diplomates of the American Board of Surgery, which means they have met the highest standards for medical education, clinical training and knowledge in their field of surgery. Three of our surgeons also are diplomates of the American Board of Colon & Rectal Surgery, which means they are recognized nationally for their expertise in evaluating and treating diseases of the colon and rectum. Our focus on specific sub-specialties allows us to do fewer types of operations, more often, and with the highest levels of expertise.

Whenever practical, our surgeons use Minimally Invasive Surgical techniques to avoid the larger incisions required for typical open surgery. These include basic and advanced laparoscopy, robotic surgery, surgery done through the anus or mouth without incisions at all, and sometimes just smaller incisions made possible by having so much experience in their specialties.

Patient Instructions

See our Patient Instructions for pre- or postoperative patient information.

All our surgeons use laparoscopy extensively, whether they are doing routine operations, such as inguinal hernia repair and cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), or more advanced procedures, such as colon cancer resection, abdominal wall reconstruction, weight-loss surgery, hiatal hernia repair, and redo or revision operations. Doctors Tom BradyHeidi J Miller and Kirk Sahagian also do robotic surgery (daVinci system). Most patients experience less pain, shorter hospitalization times, and are able to return to work and other activities sooner.

Patient Instructions

See our Patient Instructions for pre- or postoperative patient information.

Casco Bay surgeons Kirk Sahagian (Program Medical Director) is a member of Maine Medical Center’s comprehensive Weight & Wellness Program. Their participation in that program provides qualified patients with morbid obesity access to a multidisciplinary team approach to obesity evaluation, treatment and, when appropriate, advanced laparoscopic approaches to weight loss (bariatric) surgery. Dr. Sahagian and Dr. Cobean are experts with laparoscopy, GI endoscopy, and minimally-invasive surgical techniques, including robotic surgery (da Vinci system). The Weight & Wellness Program is in the same building as Casco Bay.

Maine Medical Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) as a Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Center for Adult and Adolescent patients (Level 1a) Inpatient Bariatric facility, and our Scarborough Surgery Center was the first outpatient bariatric surgery center in New England fully accredited by the ACS (January 2010). We have been performing Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass since 1999 and Laparoscopic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy since 2013.

We introduced laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAP-BAND) to Portland in 2006 but have largely abandoned it for more reliable operations, as have most programs around the country. We continue to manage bands for hundreds of patients who are doing well with them and try to remedy, remove, or convert to other operations (when bands continue to cause problems).

We accept patients who move to Maine after having weight loss surgery elsewhere and offer revision surgery in selected situations. We use minimally-invasive surgical techniques for almost all operations, including revisions.

Since April 2019, Drs. Sahagian and Cobean have been offering to do the operations for qualified patients at Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) in Biddeford, Maine, where they collaborate with Dr. Mike Carroll and his team at MaineHealth’s other ACS-certified Bariatric Surgery Program. SMHC is a Low Acuity Center for less obese, younger patients with fewer serious health problems.

You can find more information at the Maine Medical Center Weight & Wellness Program web page.

Patient Instructions

See our Patient Instructions  for pre- or postoperative patient information.

Dr. Tom Brady and Dr. Heidi J Miller are regional experts in complex hernia repair, with extensive experience repairing abdominal wall hernias:

  • Incisional (from previous surgery)
  • Ventral
  • Umbilical
  • Inguinal
  • Femoral
  • Obturator
  • Spigelian
  • Lumbar

They also repair stomal hernias and revise or re-position problem ostomies working in partnership with our colorectal surgeons. Many of our patients have already experienced a failed repair attempt by other surgeons before arriving at Surgical Care - Casco Bay. Dr. Brady and Dr. Miller use advanced techniques, including laparoscopic component separation and robotic surgery, to provide patients the best chance of long-term success with improved quality of life and core function.

Patient Instructions

See our Patient Instructions  for pre- or postoperative patient information.

An intact and functioning anal sphincter muscle is required to keep control over bowel movements and to avoid a permanent colostomy. Our colorectal surgeons use advanced techniques to preserve the sphincter whenever possible during surgery. They also coordinate evaluations and do surgery to repair or reconstruct sphincter muscles damaged by injury, childbirth, or other operations.

Patient Instructions

See our Patient Instructions if you need pre- or postoperative instructions.

In addition to surgery, our colorectal surgeons do diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy, so patients who choose any of them to do their screening colonoscopy will have an expert surgeon already familiar with them and their anatomy if any problems are found that could require later surgery.

Patient Instructions

See our Patient Instructions if you need information to prep for a colonoscopy or other procedure.

Doctors Heidi J Miller and Kirk Sahagian use flexible upper GI endoscopy (esophagus, stomach, first part of the small intestine) extensively in taking care of their patients. This procedure is used as part of the evaluation for weight-loss surgery.

Dr. Sahagian also provides colonoscopy for his patients who need it. Dr. Cobean uses GI endoscopy during complex upper GI tract surgery, including doing some operations entirely endoscopically so that incisions aren’t necessary. Dr. Cobean uses upper endoscopy outside the operating room to evaluate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiatal hernias, Barrett’s esophagus, and swallowing problems. He also works with talented endoscopists in the Portland area and at patients’ local hospitals to do some of the testing.

Dr. Heidi J Miller is highly experienced in advanced laparoscopic, endoscopic and robotic approaches to complex issues of the Upper GI tract and can offer Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy for achalasia.

Patient Instructions

See our Patient Instructions  for pre- or postoperative patient information.

Specialized Colon and Rectal Surgery Services

Colorectal patient needs are best served by a dedicated, interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses and clinical staff working together to address a wide range of colorectal conditions. Our colorectal surgery specialty providers use advanced surgical techniques that have led to more positive outcomes for more patients with:

  • Colorectal cancer cases (with fewer colostomies)
  • Complex inflammatory conditions
  • Chronic conditions and pain
  • Impaired colorectal functions

Our highly-trained specialists are experts in the care and treatment of diseases and disorders of the colon, rectum, anus and small intestine. We diagnosis and treat a wide range of colorectal disorders. Our surgeons are trained in general surgery and have extra specialty training in colorectal surgery. We are certified by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Many disorders are complex and require teams of specialists, so we work closely with other specialists, such as:

  • Medical and radiation oncologists for cancer
  • Gastroenterologists for bowel disorders
  • Urology and gynecology specialists for cancer and pelvic disorders
  • Other specialists, such as plastic surgeons

Learn more.