Dr. Karanjawala (“Dr. K”) started with Sacramento Colon & Rectal Surgery in 2016 and is currently the lead physician of the practice. He grew up on the central coast of California and had an interest in science at a young age. After seeing how doctors take their scientific knowledge and apply that to helping people with their health, he decided to pursue a career in medicine. He chose to stay in California for college, receiving a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California at Berkeley. In pursuit of his medical degree, he obtained a master’s degree in Physiology and Biophysics at Georgetown University before beginning his medical education at New York Medical College where he found his passion for surgery. Dr. Karanjawala then moved to Houston, TX and trained under multiple surgeons who work to advance surgical care nationally and throughout the world at the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston in the world-renowned Texas Medical Center. Finding an interest in colorectal surgery, he worked at Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital, one of Houston’s county hospitals, before embarking on his colon and rectal surgery training with the Colon and Rectal Clinic of Houston and the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston.
Dr. Karanjawala has been focused on providing compassionate and patient-centered care to his patients. He thoroughly enjoys practicing community colorectal surgery with a focus on prevention, early detection, and treatment of the large variety of colorectal diseases. He employs techniques that he learned during his training and continues to learn new techniques to provide advanced colorectal surgery care. He is focused on advancing his techniques and care to improve his patient’s outcomes and quality of life. He has worked with his colleagues, staff, and nurses to help improve their recovery after surgery. He has implemented Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols to get patients home sooner with less pain and to get them back to their normal life in a shorter period of time. He also continues his education and works closely with his medical oncology and radiation oncology colleagues to follow a Watch-and-Wait approach to certain patients with rectal cancer. In those patients who undergo treatment for their rectal cancer and end up having no cancer left, he can closely monitor these patients and potentially save them from a surgery to remove part or all of their rectum and the possible need for a colostomy bag. These advances are what continue to drive Dr. Karanjawala to learn new techniques and approaches so that his patients receive the most up-to-date and optimal care.
Since completing his training, Dr. Karanjawala has found a home and made a life in the Sacramento area. He moved here with his wife and son to be closer to family, and they welcomed their daughter since then. Dr. Karanjawala and his family enjoy all the community and activities provided by Sacramento and the surrounding areas. He and his wife thoroughly enjoy exploring the bounty of the Sacramento Valley in the farm-to-fork capital. He enjoys being outdoors even when it’s 105 degrees or hotter (his wife and most people think he’s crazy and he agrees). He aims to be active when he is not working, enjoying long walks and runs and playing basketball with his son. He tries to get his family out to explore the beauty and history of the area, and they’re willing to join him when the weather is more comfortable.
2023 Sutter Independent Physicians President’s Award Recipient for Excellence in Patient Care