Locations
Mark T. Hoepfner, MD, FACS
Las Vegas , NV
My office hours
Thursday: 9:00am - 4:00pm
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Practice website
Insurances accepted
Aetna Life Insurance Company
Anthem BC Life & Health Insurance Company
CIGNA Health Care
Coventry Health Care
Great-West Healthcare
UNICARE
United HealthCare Insurance Company
About
Bio
Mark Hoepfner, MD, FACS obtained B.S. cum laude in Chemistry at Seattle University B.S. Biology (Biochemistry) at University of Washington. This was followed by MD degree at University of Washington. He trained in General Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN & did did a research Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic. He is Board Certified with the American Board of Surgery Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has practiced in Las Vegas, NV for over 20 years, receiving local Las Vegas Top Doctor honors in 2004, 2012 2013. He specializes in individualized, thorough, and detailed care for patients with potential surgical problems. Special interest in laparoscopic surgery, surgical oncology, and general surgical conditions. He works to evaluate each person in detail, and to include their family physician and other treating physicians in each patient's care and management.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Surgery
General Surgery
Licenses
United States: Nevada
Doctor Q&A
2.4K Answers
7.5K Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Recurrence: Depends on the type & stage of the first breast cancer & the treatments received (chemotherapy & radiation therapy). Depends on where it has reappeare... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Healthy: Eating a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, avoiding a lot of meat, avoiding fried fatty greasy foods, avoiding alcohol. Avoid risky behaviors tha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Generally not: Lumpectomy for breast cancer is a surgical procedure to remove a small breast cancer and some surrounding normal healthy tissue to be sure the tumor i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
See your doctor: Your doctor can see you and review your symptoms such as heartburn, esophagitis, food reflux into the throat, feeling of food sticking when swallowing... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Different types.: Breast cancer or carcinoma can be non-invasive (in situ) or invasive. It can be ductal or lobular. It can be hormone receptor positive or negative, he... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Hopefully never: Hard to tell you specifics without much more detailed information on type, size, stage of the breast cancer. Of course the hope is that treated breast... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
See below: Following is a site that can better describe a breast self examination in more detail than can be done here:
http://www.Cancer.Org/cancer/breastcance... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Where?: Where is the knife wound? Usually a doctor's physical examination is sufficient, examination of nerve feeling and muscle function at the site if invol... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Rare: It is quite rare. Presents as a painless lump under tge nipple most often over age 65. Less than 1% of breast cancers occur in men.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 72-year-old male asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Unknown: Very hard to guess without a physical examination to see what you are describing.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Urachal sinus: I do not know what you are actually seeing or feeling. Rarely a persistent connection can internally connect to the umbilicus. This can resukt in inte... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Bleeding and pain: Ruptured or fractured spleen is usually from an accident, trauma, or injury. It can cause internal bleeding and left upper abdominal pain. Lab tests a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 51-year-old male asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Depends: Many hernia repairs are an our patient surgery, such as inguinal (groin) or umbilical hernias. Large ventral hernias may need short inpatient care. Mo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Possibly: There are some Asian countries that have higher incidence of gastric cancer, and there is thought to be an association of stomach cancer with smoked f... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Stones: Gallstones can sometimes move from the gallbladder into the bile duct causing blockage of the bile from the liver, resulting in yellow jaundice. Somet... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 55-year-old male asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Maybe: Anyone can get a peri-anal abscess. It can be more common in patients with crohn's disease. A person with or without ulcerative colitis can get peri-a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Sometimes: But usually if a GI cancer were to be seen on a ct scan it would likely need to be fairly large. Smaller early cancers on the inside lining of the int... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
I : I agree with dr. O'neil. It depends on what the laparoscopic surgery was performed for. If you are having vaginal bleeding after gynecology surgery, t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Multifocal: Breast cancer that occurs in more than one area is multifocal. Multiple sites of breast cancer may indicate increased risks of cancer in the breast c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Yes: If the rash is in the same pattern and same location where tape is or was located, then yes. Some people get reactions to tape. See or ask your surge... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Depends: Often not, but it would depend on the type of surgery that you are having, and if the urinary bladder needed to be empty during surgery, or if the sur... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Depends: Usually an hour or less unless the operation is being performed under difficult circumstances such as for severe infections or multiple prior abdomina... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Serious: This is a serious injury where the small intestine near the stomach becomes injured or torn. Bruising can cause intestinal blockage. Intestinal leakag... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
See below: It is a surgical procedure done under general anesthesia, while one is asleep. One to four small incisions are used for the surgical instruments. Carb... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Not necessarily: Without a physical examination by your physician, it is difficult to tell. Most commonly an anal lump may be hemorrhoids. Viral skin lesions and anal ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Dietician: You may need to alter the food or feeding used, alter the amount or frequency of the feeding, & may need to add more water. Each person is different &... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Depends: This type of surgery is highly dependent on the trained surgical specialist who performs this operation. The risks are about the same as any other lap... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Various ways: There are several techniques. Gastric sleeve is a less invasive band placed on the stomach. Bypass surgery could be a roux-en-y procedure to shrink th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
See below: A bowel perforation is an emergency, serious condition where the intestines are leaking internally. Usually it is associated with severe abdominal pai... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
No: Crohn's disease can be highly variable from one person to another. Many patients are treated with medications only. Complications such as bowel obstru... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Maybe flu: Sounds like you have have flu or gastroenteritis. It is common to have no appetite and feel full when there is an intestinal irritation or a viral con... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Depends: It is normal for a person to get a slightly dilated common bile duct after cholecystectomy surgery. Common bile duct stone would be quite unlikely a y... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Surgeon office exam: Evaluation by your surgeon after surgery to be sure that the area is healing properly would be sufficient. There is a low chance of fistula recurrence... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Brief: Usually most all effects of a general anesthetic resolve in minutes of surgery. There can be some longer side effects of tiredness or groggy feeling. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Not that common: In the United States, primary liver cancer is not that common, but is very common in some other countries. In the US, cancers spread from other organs... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Can be the same: An embolism is a blood clot that travels and can cause a blockage of the artery. A stroke can be caused by different things, such as an embolism or ar... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
See another doctor: You likely would need to see another doctor in the practice to get your medical records updated. While the contested report may not able to be actuall... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Not common: Inflammatory thyroid condition of thyroiditis is not too common. It seems to occur more in women (hashimoto;s thyroiditis). It can resolve on its own ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Controversial: Colon cancer would start as microscopic cells that are unable to be detected by any test. Some reports suggest that a colon cancer has been present fo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Yes safe: Breast needle biopsy is a very safe and common procedure to see if there are any abnormal cells cells in the breast tissue. It saves having surgery a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Local pressure: Mainly it depends on where the laceration is located and how deep it is. Does the finger function normally. Is there any skin numbness? Is it affectin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Can occur: The standard risk after surgery is about 1 person in 400 gets chronic recurrent diarrhea after gallbladder surgery. It may be more common in those who... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Pathology stage: The cell type, dna type (k-ras mutation, etc.), stage of the cancer depending on how deep it may invade, whether the cancer spread to lymph nodes or o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Do not know: I do not know what polyps that you are speaking of. Intestinal? Sinus? Some place else? Need more information.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Depends: Many times surgery for a bleeding ulcer is being done as an emergency surgery. Depending on how much surgery is needed, ulcer repair or resection of t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Variable: Postoperative nausea and vomiting is usually less than 20% of people, but it depends on what type of surgery, how long the operation is, a person's pr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Not exactly: Stomach cancer and esophageal cancers are different. But a stomach cancer sometimes can be located right near the esophagus too. The type of cancer ce... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Varies: Usually an anesthesiologist will use a variety of medications. There are intravenous medications that make you sleepy, helps the brain sleep, and mayb... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Uncommon: Male breast cancer is much more rare than in women. The chance is listed on a cancer site as 0.1% lifetime risk in men, and only account for 1% of all... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Mark Hoepfneranswered
Surgery 41 years experience
Unrelated: Kidney stone and gallstones would entirely be unrelated, and the kidney stone would not be related to your surgery. You may still be healing and havin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
28
Recommendations
2.5K
Thank you notes
Jul 19, 2014
An excellent resource for patients and an asset to healthtap. Anybody who takes their personal time, to answer patient questions and does so without anything in return is fine by me.
Dec 2, 2012
I endorse this doctor. Excellent information provided through AVVO.Com as a public service. Very knowledgable with concise and helpful responses.
Nov 3, 2012
very knowledgable and quick responses. We need more doctors like Dr. Hoepfner. Excellent. Excellent!
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I just had hernia repair and when the Dr. went in I had two . He had to put two drains and about 20 to 30 staples . This is very painful
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! Thank u sir for ur reply.i went for USG scrotum and abdomen for right side scrotal discomfort.found mild glbladder wall edema.ne wys thnk u
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! I have gall stones and attacks.also,neck scan,past oct.measured left side 4.3cm-3.8cm. Right side is 3.4-2.3transverse. Presently growing ..
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
University of Washington School of Medicine, WA
Graduated 1982MD
Residency
MAYO CLINIC
Awards
Fellow American College of Surgeons, Diplomate American Board of Surgery, Cancer Liaison American College of Surgeons
Diplomate American Board of Surgery
Who's Who in the World
Affiliations
American College of Surgeons
American Board of Surgery
Southwestern Surgical College
Publications
Pacing the Canine Ileostomy
Pacing the Canine Ileostomy (Abstract)
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