A Central Islip father of four is thanking the surgical team at South Shore University Hospital that removed a basketball-sized tumor from his liver.

Just two months ago, 43-year-old Margarito Banos was on the verge of being transferred to hospice care.

Banos said that before meeting Dr. Gary Deutsch, many doctors told him there was nothing they could do to shrink the cancerous tumor.

“When I came to the hospital that day, a lot of doctors saw me,” said Banos. “[Dr. Deutsch] came around, and I remember he said to me, ‘I think I can do something.’”

Dr. Deutsch and his team operated for eight hours in order to remove 95% of the tumor.