"Fred Hutch Cancer Center" "Cures Start Here"

Shannon M. Colohan, MD

Provider

Shannon M. Colohan, MD

Physician, Fred Hutch
Associate Professor, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine

Specialty:

Surgery

Reconstructive Surgery

Fred Hutch at UW Medical Center - Montlake
South Lake Union Clinic

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“I believe that educating you about your options and involving you in all aspects of your care are key to achieving good outcomes.”

— Dr. Colohan

What’s the reason you became a surgeon?

Growing up I had a lot of exposure to medicine through personal experience and being the daughter of an emergency room physician. Based on that, I’ve always been interested in the medical side of things and found myself seeking out opportunities to work with physician mentors as a teenager and undergraduate student. Additionally, I have a love of art and design, and like to work with my hands. Knowing that I liked both those things led me to surgery and then to plastic surgery. I became involved in cancer care because of the humanity it brings to the medical practice. In particular, I like working to help restore a sense of normalcy during a stressful period in your life and dedicating myself to helping improve your sense of well-being. I’m also a UW associate professor of surgery in the Division of Plastic Surgery and enjoy teaching both medical students and residents. I have a background in epidemiology and a strong interest in clinical outcomes research for patients who require reconstruction as part of their cancer treatment.

How do you like to work with patients?

I believe that educating you about your options and involving you in all aspects of your care are key to achieving good outcomes. This requires good communication with you and your family, as well as collaboration with a team of extended health care providers who are all involved in your care. As a surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction, our collaborative approach is a big part of why I chose to work at Fred Hutch. We are a team of genuinely caring people who are dedicated to helping each woman through her reconstructive pathway. You benefit from a team that is wholly dedicated to breast reconstruction. That expertise — from people who spend 80-90 percent of their clinical volume doing breast cancer care and reconstruction — leads to better outcomes overall. There are also excellent collaborations with the other oncology services (sarcoma, melanoma, colorectal, gyn-oncology) that allow us to participate as a team in your care and help meet your reconstructive needs.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Plastic and reconstructive surgery

I am an expert at reconstructive plastic surgery with a specific focus on cancer reconstruction. My primary focus is breast reconstruction for women with cancer, including implant-based and natural-tissue (flap) procedures. I also have an interest in adolescent breast surgery including breast reconstruction of congenital asymmetries and breast reduction. I perform reconstruction for other forms of cancer (e.g. Skin cancers, sarcoma, pelvic cancers), general reconstructive plastic surgery, aesthetic surgery of the breast and body, and microsurgical reconstruction of the breast, head and neck, and other areas of the body for cancer-related reasons or traumatic injuries. Additionally, I perform excision, sentinel node biopsy and reconstruction for melanoma skin cancer.

My research includes study design and clinical outcomes in reconstructive plastic surgery with an emphasis on breast reconstruction.

Diseases Treated

Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Languages

English
French

Education, Experience and Certifications

Medical Degree
Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine

Residency
Dalhousie University, Plastic Surgery

Fellowship
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Microsurgery

Board Certification
Plastic Surgery, 2010, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; Plastic Surgery, 2012, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Other
MSc, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Epidemiology

Awards

Seattle Met's 2023 Top Doctors award
Dr. Colohan has received this peer-nominated award for exceptional patient care for multiple years.

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you.

Find a Clinical Trial Led by Dr. Colohan

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other doctors and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written.

View Dr. Colohan's Publications

Your Care Team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like registered dieticians, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders.

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Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.

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