Stephen A. DeSantis MD MS FACS

Dr. Desantis, a native of Southern California, obtained his cum laude Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology and Master's in Biology degrees at the University of California Los Angeles.  He earned his MD in 1978 at UCLA where he also then completed his General Surgery internship and residency in 1983. 

He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American Society of Breast Disease, and the American Medical Association.  Previously, he held faculty position in the Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and is both the incoming and prior Chief of Surgery at Mission Hospital.  He is Advanced Trauma Life Support certified.  In addition, Dr. DeSantis holds six U.S. patents on breast biopsy devices.

Known within the group for his encyclopedic knowledge of historic events and a plethora of topics, Dr. DeSantis is passionate about breast disease ranging from benign to malignant, including cosmetic/reconstructive concerns.  He is excited to incorporate the latest oncologic findings and techniques into the care of his breast cancer patients.  Dr. DeSantis also frequently treats patients for varicose veins.

Other areas of expertise include: hernia repair, benign & malignant colorectal disease using laparoscopic-assisted techniques, laparoscopic gallbladder removal, treatment of melanoma and other skin cancers, as well as major intraabdominal operations running the gamut of surgical diseases.  Dr. DeSantis is a key player on the Trauma Surgery team at Mission Hospital, providing acute, high-acuity trauma care to the entire southern region of Orange County, California.

Ralph H. Maeda Jr. MD FACS

Another Southern California native, Dr. Maeda attended University of Southern California from which he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  Medical doctorate was earned in 1979 at USC, where he was inducted into membership of the medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha.  Dr. Maeda completed General Surgery Residency at University of California, Irvine in 1985.

He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and member of the American Medical Association.  Dr. Maeda has served as Chief of the Special Care Unit of Mission Hospital, as well as on both the hospital's Board of Directors and Surgical Executive Committee.  He maintains certification in Advanced Trauma Life Support.

Breast cancer has touched Dr. Maeda closely, and he is frequently sought by other physicians when facing this disease in their own families.  His involvement with breast cancer survivors groups is an ongoing facet of his life.

As a general surgeon, Dr. Maeda also performs operations to treat abdominal hernias, gallbladder disease, colorectal cancer and benign conditions using laparoscopic-assisted techniques, skin cancers, and the full spectrum of surgical disease.  Dr. Maeda is an integral part of Mission Hospital's Trauma team, providing acute care to all of South Orange County.

Kenneth D. Kushner MD FACS

Dr. Kushner graduated Cum Laude with his Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California San Diego, then crossed the country for medical school at New York Medical College, from which he graduated in 1981 as a member of the medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha.  General Surgery residency at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center prepared him for joining the practice here in 1986. 

He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Laser Surgery, fellow in the American College of Surgeons, and member of the American Medical Association and the Society of Graduate Surgeons of Los Angeles County.  He is a certified instructor for Advanced Trauma Life Support.

His colleagues and patients greatly appreciate Dr. Kushner's patient explanations, whether in his native English, Spanish, or the multiple other languages in which he is fluent.  His methodic approach to complex patients and surgical conditions is a strong asset to the group.

Dr. Kushner is skilled in repairs of hernias, treatment of malignant or benign breast disease, laparoscopic gallbladder and colorectal disease operations, skin and soft tissue tumor excision, major abdominal operations and cancer surgery.  He is the chair of the Mission Hospital Cancer Committee, and integral member of the Mission Hospital Trauma team.

John K. Shaver MD FACS

Dr. Shaver graduated with Honors from University of California, Davis with his Bachelor of Science in Physiology.  He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1988.  University of California San Francisco saw his completion of General Surgery Residency plus an additional two year Endocrine Surgery fellowship. 

He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons, and member of the American Medical Association.  Taking the mantle from his father, Dr. John Shaver is active as the Director of Trauma for Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center and serves as an instructor for Advanced Trauma Life Support.  His previous administrative responsibilities include Chief of Surgery here at Mission Hospital.

Special interests of Dr. Shaver include Advanced Laparoscopic procedures such as laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), laparoscopic hiatal and paraesophageal hernia repair, laparoscopic-assisted colorectal resection, and laparoscopic adrenalectomy.  He is on the forefront of minimally invasive operations treating endocrine surgical diseases of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal. 

Aside from these operations, Dr. Shaver maintains a tireless schedule with the complete complement of General Surgery patients, including those with hernias, cancers and benign disorders of the breast, colon, skin, pancreas, liver, etc.  He is committed to caring for our community as a member of the Mission Hospital Trauma Team.

Marvin J. Atchison MD FACS

Californian Dr. Atchison graduated Summa Cum Laude, valedictorian, and with Honors from Pacific Union College in the Napa Valley with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.  Subsequently, he earned his Medical Doctorate in 1998 from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where he was inducted into the medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha.  He was intern of the year and subsequent chief resident of the year while completing his General Surgery residency at Loma Linda University, where he also took first place in the first annual laparoscopic skills competition. 

He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, member of the American Medical Association, and previous Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at LLU.  He has received teaching awards from the LLU School of Medicine and the Kaiser Fontana Family Medicine Residency.  He maintains his certification in Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and Advanced Trauma Life Support. Sensitive to his patients' religious beliefs, he serves here as the surgical representative on the Mission Hospital Jehovah's Witness laison committee.

Dr. Atchison practiced for the first two years and one-half at Kaiser Hospital in Fontana, California where he treated a wide variety of surgical patients, especially those with malignant and benign breast disease.  Since joining the group in early 2006, he has found further application for his skills with laparoscopy, inguinal and umbilical hernia repair, laparoscopic ventral hernia repair, and post-herniorrhaphy neurolysis.   His related interest in medical missions has taken him to hospitals in Kenya and Peru, instruct Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) in China, and teach laparoscopy in India.

He greatly enjoys the variety and depth of General Surgery, including laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic-assisted colorectal resection, wide local excision of melanoma, sentinal lymph node biopsy, thyroidectomy, excision of benign skin/soft tissue masses such as inclusion cysts and lipomas, and of course major abdominal operations.  He says that his favorite case is the patient he is treating at the time.  As with all his partners, Dr. Atchison serves at Mission Hospital providing acute care to Trauma patients from all of South Orange County. 

Jay Sanampudi MD

Our newest associate trained in Texas, where he earned his BA in Microbiology from University of Texas at Austin - graduating Phi Beta Kappa.  He completed his MD at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas before journeying west to the integrated Surgery program in Phoenix, Arizona from which he graduated in 2010. 

Since joining us in 2011, "Dr. Jay" as he is usually known, has been particularly active in caring for our inpatient population at Mission Hospital.  He is facile at laparoscopic cholecystectomies, laparoscopic appendectomies, and major abdominal operations for surgical emergencies such as bowel obstructions, perforations, diverticulitis, peptic ulcers, hernias, etc.  Dr. Sanampudi is an integral member of the Mission Hospital Trauma team.