January 2008 eNews

(Sioux Falls, SD) Verlin Ritchie of Sioux Falls won’t soon forget a conversation with his physician in December 2006. He heard the word “cancer,” soon followed by two other words he didn’t expect – “robotic surgery.”

Doctors told him after discovering a cancerous tumor they needed to remove a portion of his colon. Curtis Peery, MD with Sanford Clinic Surgical Associates then explained to him the safest way to do that surgery would be robotically.

“Dr. Peery gave me the reassurance of knowing robotic assisted surgery is a more precise procedure and would reduce my recovery time and get me back to work sooner,” said Verlin. The surgery was a success, and Verlin returned to work two weeks after the procedure. “I didn’t even have stitches,” he added.

Verlin is one of nearly 1,000 patients in the past three years who discovered the advantages of the experienced physicians at Sanford.

Sanford’s Robotic History In 2004, Sanford Health started a robotic surgery program because of the significant benefits for the patient, as well as the surgeon.

For the patient, robotic procedures mean smaller incisions, a shorter hospital stay and an overall faster recovery in order to get back to everyday activities. For the surgeon, robotic surgery greatly increases their visibility of the anatomy. Procedures are also performed through incisions no wider than a fingertip.

“The pencil-size video camera provides magnified, 3-dimensional images of the surgical site giving me more accuracy,” said Dr. Peery. “The hand controls that I use to guide the system’s arms are equipped with surgical instruments making the entire procedure more precise.”

In spring 2006, Sanford opened a state-of-the art Surgical Tower incorporating ideas from world renowned facilities. The sophistication of the Sanford Surgical Tower is unparalleled. The growth of the Sanford Robotics program spurred the need for a second robotic system. Sanford is one of only 44 institutions in the United States with two systems and the only one in South Dakota.

An Experienced Team
Sanford’s team is unique from other programs around the country because of the volume and variety of procedures performed by physicians. Sanford’s robotic team consists of 18 surgeons performing procedures in many different specialties including gynecologic oncology, gynecology, general surgery, pediatrics and urology. Sanford currently has more physicians trained to do robotic hysterectomies than any other institution in the country. Sanford’s Robotic Surgery Center also has a dedicated care team trained for a variety of procedures. Together, this team has performed nearly 1,000 robotic surgeries.

Surgical Success
Sanford’s robotic surgeons have had the opportunity to share their expertise by traveling to facilities across the country to train other surgeons. One Sanford surgeon, Maria Bell, MD, gained national media attention for her robotic expertise when she was featured on ABC News World News Tonight in 2006 along with her patient who received a robotic hysterectomy. For Verlin Ritchie and nearly 1,000 other patients, choosing the experience of the Sanford Robotic Surgery team was the right decision.

“I wouldn’t even hesitate to do it again,” he said. “Sanford’s Robotic Surgery Center made a believer out of me!”

Click here for more information on robotic surgery

(Sioux Falls, SD) Life tends to fly by quickly – sometimes faster than we would like. However, Leroy Feekes, a resident and farmer in Beloit, Iowa, is taking one step back and enjoying life as it comes after a near death experience.

On June 11, 2007, Leroy was doing chores on the farm and felt a pain in his right arm. Although he knew from a past heart attack this could be a sign of heart trouble, he ignored the symptoms when the pain went away. That changed 90 minutes later when the pain returned.

“I called my wife Nancy and told her I needed to get to the hospital right away,” said Leroy. “When Nancy asked me where I wanted to go, I told her to take me to Canton-Inwood Memorial Hospital because I didn’t think I could make it to Sioux Falls.”

Soon after arriving at the emergency room, Leroy lost consciousness and became unresponsive. Daniel Rath, MD, Sanford Clinic Canton Family Physicians, along with the rest of the emergency room team at Canton- Inwood, quickly began CPR because Leroy didn’t have a pulse. “I was in awe at how everyone seemed to know what to do. And nobody seemed to be in each other’s way,” Nancy said. “I was praying out loud. I had faith and just knew he would come back.”

“We used the defibrillator on Leroy once. I looked at the monitor and there was nothing,” Dr. Rath said. “Then all of a sudden we got a pulse – it was incredible. Sometimes there is divine intervention in a person’s life. I was also very pleased with our staff. They responded quickly and did a great job.” Leroy was stabilized and air lifted to Sanford USD Medical Center. The flight nurse on duty that day believes the staff at Canton-Inwood Memorial Hospital is the reason Leroy survived his heart attack.

“The staff and physician did an excellent job,” Kay Boik, Intensive Air and Trauma 1 Flight Nurse, said. “When we arrived at their facility with the Trauma 1 helicopter, his condition was stabilized and ready for a rapid transport to Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls.”

At Sanford USD Medical Center, Adam Stys, MD, with Sanford Clinic Heart Partners discovered one of Leroy’s arteries was 100 percent blocked and inserted a stent to keep the artery open.

Today, Leroy does not have any heart damage. He returned to work two weeks after the experience.

Click here for more information regarding Sanford's Heart & Vascular services.

Where Does a Spine Surgeon Go for Spine Surgery? - Trust, Proven Quality & First-Rate Facility

(Sioux Falls, SD) As a new physician at Sanford Clinic, just moving to Sioux Falls from Aberdeen, I never expected to be on the patient side of caregiving, but that is exactly where I found myself this fall. After several years of difficulties with my back, sudden and unrelenting pain forced me to proceed to surgery.

One might imagine the decision would be difficult, given I could choose to go anywhere in the world. As a member of the Spine Section of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, I have had contact with many notable surgeons. Choosing a surgeon involves several factors: trust, proven quality and a first-rate facility.

The trust factor was easy. Wilson Asfora, MD has been a trusted colleague for nearly ten years, since I first arrived in South Dakota to practice neurosurgery. He is a man of nearly inexhaustible energy and innovation. Furthermore, I knew I had a team looking after me, with Bryan Wellman, MD conferring with Dr. Asfora.

There is more to surgery than just the surgeon, however difficult as that might be for a surgeon to say! The hospital is just as important. As an insider, I knew that my care at Sanford USD Medical Center would be second to none. After all, I have been operating here for some time, and have experienced the commitment to quality that resonates through the entire facility, from the new Sanford Surgical Tower with its state-of-the-art surgery suites and equipment, to the nursing and anesthesia staff.

Despite my optimistic outlook, nothing prepared me for my experience. From the moment I arrived, the care was compassionate, privacy-focused and extraordinarily professional. I may be an insider, but I am still new enough that I was, for the most part, unrecognized. That made the care that I received all the more special to me, knowing my patients will receive that same level of quality.

Finally, the choice of Sanford was clearly the right one to make. I left the hospital the day after a multiple-level reoperation for spinal fusion, and look forward to continuing to be a part of a great team!

Click here for more information regarding Sanford's Neurosurgery & Spine services.