Clinical Locations
Huntsman Cancer Institute - Cancer Hospital South
Board Certification
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National Board of Medical Examiners
American Board of Surgery
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Patient Rating
The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers.
The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.
Patient Comments
Patient comments are gathered from our patient experience survey and displayed in their entirety. For the convenience of our visitors, some patient comments have been translated from their original language into English while preserving their original meaning as accurately as possible. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
Amazing thoughtful and caring
Dr. Contreras was very kind and thorough in explaining my health diagnosis and the remedy. Super patient and did a great job explaining everything in common terms and answering questions.
I felt that Dr. Contreras listened to my concerns. He explained in detail about what the options were which was very helpful to me. He was very kind and helpful.
Great first experience with Dr. Contreras. He made me feel comfortable, eased my mind and explained the next step.
Dr Contreras is very caring and compassionate to the people that he sees. He takes time to explain things to you, he went with me to ensure that I felt safe during a procedure that I had by another Dr because I was terrified. He held. My hand made sure I was s under good care He's Al'so Extremely patient with his patients. He's very professional. And I have found. Him to be very honest.
Dr. Contreras is an amazing Dr. I had concerns about cadaver inside of my body, most people thought I was crazy, but he didn't hesitate to find an option I was comfortable with. He really listens and I can tell that he wants me to be okay. He has also explained my upcoming surgery and requirements very well. He is a doctor I feel comfortable talking to and asking questions and he has set clear expectations for after surgery. Because of the type of Dr he is and his personality, I am not terrified to have surgery like I have been in the past. I also know that it's a very painful surgery so I have an idea of what to expect and I'm appreciative that he has started me on pain management early to help with pain now and post surgery. His honesty about the fact that I may have pain, even after recovery, is helpful. I can tell he really cares for his patients which to me, is just as important as his knowledge and skill.
Great physician, very patient, kind, caring, took his time with me explained everything very carefully, amazing customer service! I would not hesitate to recommend Dr Contreras for anybody that needs his services.
I Really Like him, he explained everything so I understood exactly what was happening and what care we will proceed with! I really like him!!
Very kind, he has an amazing talent to treat his patients.. very human..
I explained it earlier, Dr. Contreras, and all the staff I talked to were all very personable, down to earth and easy to talk to. They talked with and to me, not at me. Dr. Contreras, Sara, Np. and Talmage all seemed to.be the kind to say " Hi [NAME REMOVED]" if I ran into them on the street. That means more to me than anything else. They truly made me feel comfortable and as if they're really concerned for my well being and helping me to have a better quality of life!
I've been seeing Dr. Contreras since December of 2023. He has always taken his time to explain all aspects of my condition thoroughly, including answering any questions I have. He is very clear about next steps and options. I trust him 100 percent with my health.
The best! So thoughtful, thorough and kind. I feel hope for the first time in over a year.
Thank you, Dr Contreras and your team. It is because of HCI and Dr Contreras that I am alive and recovering. He explained everything that was going to happen and was extremely reassuring and compassionate. He made a very scary time in my life feel much more manageable and comfortable. He is brilliant and kind and his patients can tell how much he cares.
He gave me a good explanation and eased my stress.
Dr. Contreras is careful to listen and explain. I am confident having him as my doctor.
Dr Contreras was very good at explaining care and very caring easy to talk with made sure you knew all my options
Dr. Contreras is an exceptional doctor. He was very knowledgeable and took the time to answer our questions.
Dr. Contreras is and expert surgeon who listens, cares, explains.
Dr. Contreras is a top notch Surgeon and a wonderful person. He was very thorough in his work and made sure I was taken care of properly.
Dr. Contreras has been in communication with us from the beginning. The way he and his team have responded to request or reached out to help us has been wonderful.
Dr Nicolas Contreras was truly amazing. His expertise was evident. When you submit to a procedure such as my husband's, you want to know you're in the best possible hands. He immediately put our minds at ease. We knew we could trust my husband's life to him.
Informative and caring. We have complete confidence in allowing him to handle my surgery.
Excellent doctor and was there to answer any questions if I wanted to ask any
He cares about me.
It is a big comfort to know that they really care about me!
He is absolutely amazing and I am blessed that he is going to be taking care of me. Very impressed and would recommend him to everyone Thank you so much
Good listener. Good to show my the CT scan and explain what we were looking at. Very comfortable with him.
Dr Contreras was extremely professional and spent time listening to my concerns.
I felt like he really cared about me as a person.
He was extremely responsive to my concerns and friendly. Very knowledgeable and concerned for me. I felt it. Thank you
I'm pretty sure I couldn't have gotten a better, more experienced, more knowledgeable, more personable, more considerate provider.
Dr Contreas is the most caring, incredible surgeon I have been blessed to have care for me. He listens, never making me feel rushed. He explained everything in great ddetail.Despite having some continued issues, he is listening to my concerns and finding the cause. Thank you for everything you are doing for me. I am blessed
Was kind and gentle. Made sure I understood what needed to be addressed. Felt lucky he was the Doctor I got
He is an exceptional doctor and so hopeful and explaining everything.
The Doc is very good
Dr. Contreras was great and went over everything with me to make sure I knew my options.
Very knowledgeable and willing to listen! I considered going to a different hospital where my past surgeon works but Dr Contreras has exceeded my expectations as far as knowledge, understanding and explaining everything so it's easy to understand. He's also very nice which helps ease my anxiety.
Doctor Contreras is professional, knowledgeable, and helpful.
Amazing dr., very knowledgeable, skilled and caring.
Dr Contreras is a skilled surgeon. He explain the procedure with clarity and made me feel comfortable submitting to a big procedure.
Dr Contreras was amazing! Best Doctor I have ever seen. Highly recommend.
Amazing Dr! He truly cares. He listens to my concerns and has made me feel as comfortable as I can be about having surgery.
Works alone cannot describe how great Dr Contreras is as a provider. Wish he was my PCP
Wonderful doctor.
I am so impressed with Dr Contreras. He is so caring and explained everything to us in such a way that was easy to understand. He listened to concerns and gave good feedback. He shook my moms hand and gave her comfort in knowing that she would be in good care. He made her feel like a valuable human, not just a patient. Im certain his operating skills extend even farther than his bedside manner, which says a lot. I am so grateful she was able to meet him today. Hes an example of all the qualities that should be present in a surgeon.
Made me feel good about his knowledge and now I feel confident of hi abilities
Excellent provider. Would recommend to anyone.
He is a very skillful surgeon, and explain well before the surgery which made me not nervous anymore.
Unlike many doctors he actually listened carefully and was able to help me with his team when I went undiagnosed for over 3 years thank you all.
He is a kind caring Dr. I would recommend him to anyone!!
He could not have been more informative or more caring. Many of our questions were anticipated and all were answered. We have great confidence in relying on Dr. Contreras for my upcoming surgery.
This is my first time seeing him, I'm really impressed by him he is exceptional!
Dr. Contreras, MD is very professional, easy to understand and gave details about upcoming surgery & welcomed my questions with immediate answers. Very personable . I feel very confident in Dr. Contreras care.
He was very attentive and listened to all my questions as well as answered each one and reassured me about everything. Very caring. He also said he'd make sure that we would stay due to my particular situation until everything was taken care of properly.
Awesome interactions and I felt very comfortable with him and his staff!
Dr. Contreras has been great to work with. He is knowledgeable and has a great bedside manner. He listens carefully, and makes sure that I understand what is going on.
Dr. Contreras made me feel very confident that his recommendation for treatment was well thought out and that he had my best interest in mind. Explanations were thorough and understandable. I trust him
Dr Contreras treats me like a real person, and has honest concern and care for my health.
Dr Contreras was exceptional along with his nurse with all aspects of my appointment.
Highest example of professionalism. Talked to my wife and I in a way that could be understood. Explained fully risks and benefits of surgery.
Compassionate and explains everything so anyone can understand
Dr. Contreras was great! He has a very good bedside manner, personable,& thorough. He explained what was going to take place with surgery & recovery! If I should have to have additional surgery in the future, my choice of surgeons is Dr. Contreras.
Dr Contreras is a great guy good doctor gives you all options explains in layman's terms very caring about you
Thank you for taking the time to explain everything. We left with the information we need to make a good decision.
Dr. Contreras is very caring, straight forward and made my husband and I feel like we were in excellent care. He answered all questions about surgery and follow up care. I feel very confident in his care
He was very straight forward and helped me understand the different things going into my health recovery plan.
After connecting with Dr. Contreras, my surgerys and care were handled amazingly! His team is great, He is awesome, I felt 100 percent comfortable in his care!
Dr Contereas is amazing! He described the procedure in terms we could understand. We have a realistic idea of what to expect and the associated risks. Most importantly, he helped instill our confidence in him and Dr Scaife to do the surgery.
When his staff and him spoke to me, I was very with them. And also, I trusted them.
I have absolute confidence in the care he provided. His compassion and care for me as a patient and as a person were obvious during every visit.
Dr. Contreras was not only professional and capable but you could also tell that he genuinely cared.
So helpful
He listened to what I had to say.
Dr. Contreras is a great surgeon and he cares about what I need and tell you like it is !! Awesome person!!
This was my first time meeting him and he was very respectful and included me in his thoughts process which I appreciated
Dr. Contreras was amazing from my first appointment, through surgery and post-operative care. He took all the time needed to explain my condition and options for treatment. I really appreciated the thoroughness of explaining the surgery and the risks associated with the procedure. He put my mind at ease and was very compassionate. My surgery went great and Dr. Contreras came to my room the next day to check on me and explain how the surgery went. I had a great experience! Thank you Dr. Contreras, I really appreciate your help and kindness!
He is AWESOME. Very tuned in to explaining everything to me. He has an excellent sense of humor, which helps keep the anxiety down lower.
Nicolas Contreras is an excellent Dr I have told many people about him! Very kind and caring person!!!
He explained everything about my condition in detail. and took time to answer my questions. Was very satisfied with his recommendations.
Dr. Contreras is a very empathetic, caring doctor. He does a great job explaining health concern, options, and procedures in a way I can understand. He takes his time, is listens to my thoughts about my health.
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments |
Surgery
-Assistant Professor (Clinical) |
|---|---|
| Academic Divisions |
Cardiothoracic Surgery
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| Board Certification |
National Board of Medical Examiners
American Board of Surgery
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Education history
| Undergraduate | Biochemistry - Gonzaga University | B.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Medical | Medicine - Mayo Medical School | M.D. |
| Residency | General Surgery - Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science | Resident |
| Chief Resident | General Surgery - Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science | Chief Resident |
| Fellowship | Cardiothoracic Surgery - University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine | Fellow |
Selected Publications
Journal Article
- Contreras N, Joyce DD, Van Handel AC, Farley D (2015). Video voiceover feedback: economised surgical skills training. Medical education, 49(11), 1146.
- Contreras N, Jakub J (2020). The achilles heel of minimally invasive inguinal lymph node dissection: Seroma formation. American journal of surgery, 219(4), 696-700.
- Khasawneh MA, Contreras-Peraza N, Hernandez MC, Lohse C, Jenkins DH, Zielinski M (2019). Outcomes after splenectomy in children: a 48-year population-based study. Pediatric surgery international, 35(5), 575-582.
- Hernandez MC, Khasawneh M, Contreras-Peraza N, Lohse C, Stephens D, Kim BD, Zielinski M (2019). Vaccination and splenectomy in Olmsted County. Surgery, 166(4), 556-563.
- Liu S, Contreras N, Krezalek MA, Abd El Aziz MA, Merchea A, Kelley SR, Behm (2022). Robotic transanal minimally invasive surgery: a single institutional experience. Updates in surgery, 74(3), 1011-1016.
- Krezalek MA, Contreras-Peraza N, Parker ME, Kelley SR, Behm K (2020). Hybrid Robotic Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery Approach to Large and Low-Lying Rectal Polyps. Diseases of the colon and rectum, 63(7), 1001-1006.
- Contreras N, Litle V (2022). Follow the Leader? Can Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Follow Non-small Cell Lung Cancer's Lead With Immunotherapy?. The Annals of thoracic surgery, 114(5), e361.
- Contreras N, Litle V (2022). Invited Commentary: COVID-19 and Cancer Casualty: Managing Esophageal Cancer. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 235(2), 184-185.
- Contreras N, Litle V (2022). Systemic Disease and the Impact on Esophageal Carcinoma Management: The Big Picture. The Annals of thoracic surgery,
- Contreras N, Litle V (2023). Pulmonary Segmentectomy: Does Virtual Reality Have Bite?. The Annals of thoracic surgery, 115(5), 1255-1256.