Rose Medical Center Performs Colorado’s First Robotic Colorectal Surgery

Posted on May 16, 2012 by

Dr. David Longcope with Rose Medical Center is the first board-certified colorectal surgeon in Colorado to perform a robotic surgery case with the da Vinci Surgical System. Dr.  Longcope performed his first robotic case on April 23. 

Dr. David Longcope

Longcope will use the robotic surgery system to treat a number of colorectal conditions, including diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer and rectal cancer. His main robotic procedure will be the lower anterior resection for rectal cancer, particularly when the rectal cancer is located lower in the pelvis and expertise could mean the difference between sphincter preservation and permanent colostomy. 

“Using the robotic surgery system gives me the ability to work in smaller spaces with greater dexterity and articulation, which is beneficial in many colorectal cases because of the limited working space in the pelvis,” said Longcope. “Previously, some cases needed to be converted to an open approach because of this difficulty, so this provides a new way to complete those cases laparoscopically, which is a benefit to patients because they will have a quicker recovery and less overall pain.” 

Robotic Surgical System

Benefits of robotic surgery can include shorter hospital stays, less blood loss and smaller incisions. For colorectal cases, additional benefits can include quick return to bowel function and faster return to diet.

“Dr. Longcope is one of the leading colorectal surgeons in Colorado, so we are pleased to support him in this new surgical technique,” said Betsy Hunsicker, Chief Operating Officer at Rose Medical Center. “Patients will benefit from Dr. Longcopes experience, and the robotic surgery option will provide a new minimally invasive alternative to what have historically been fairly invasive procedures.”    

Other surgeons at Rose also perform robotic surgery for gynecologic, urologic, gynecologic oncology, infertility and general surgery cases. More than 15 surgeons at Rose use the robotic surgery system. 

Since the robotic program began in 2007, Rose has looked for effective ways to expand the program and better serve the needs of patients. Rose has a Robotic Steering Committee that meets regularly to evaluate the program, review quality data and explore new robotic procedures.

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Part 4: My Gastric Bypass Journey

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

By Marie Silverstein

Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of Marie’s story.

I am now 12 weeks post-op, and have lost 60 pounds!  I weigh 181, started at 241. My BMI is now UNDER 30 (started at 40), and I am wearing size 12 jeans and dresses (started at 20-22)!!!  I am shopping in normal stores, I feel amazing, and I look better than I have in over 20 years.  One of the things that is really mind-blowing to me is that the last time I wore a size 12, I was in the high 160s….so all of the training that I am doing for my races is clearly paying off in inches off my body! 

So the training – I am so blessed to be a part of the Overweight to Endurance Athletes group that Richard Kalasky (he is also a bariatric patient of Dr. Snyder’s. You can read about his story here.)  put together to give back to the community that helped him lose so much, and he is now a triathlete!  

Running group (Marie, second from right)

We are running the Colfax Marathon Relay on May 20th with 2 teams, and I am also running in a few other 5Ks.  I run 3-4 days per week – about a 5K each run (3.2. miles, never less, sometimes more), and weight train 2 days a week as well.  I do not currently have a huge desire to run a marathon, but I am eyeing doing a half marathon by the end of the year.

I seem to have FINALLY gotten my nutrition under control.  I was not keeping anything down after my 6 week check up. So I went back to liquid only for a week, and then started adding foods back in.  That seems to have re-booted my system as I am now down to just one protein shake per day and am chewing the rest of my food.  My stomach pouch is still quite tiny – maybe 1.5 oz, so I am working on getting it a bit larger.  We also had to add carbs to my diet because of the training and that has really helped, along with an electrolyte drink when I train and energy gels that are full of carbs.  I was just so weak prior to getting this all worked out when I was training that it became a huge issue.

I had my annual business conference at the end of April in Las Vegas, and it was my 7th time attending the event.  I had always been the fat girl in the room….and I am SO excited to go that I got to go with my new cute clothes, cocktails dresses and new attitude!  I also got a new haircut as well.  Right before the trip, I did an organic spray tan, lots of waxing and mani/pedi….things I mostly did not bother with in years past because I just wanted to blend into the woodwork.  I looked and felt AWESOME!!

Marie, in Las Vegas

I love the new sassy, confident and strong woman who is emerging from underneath the weight of the shedding pounds, the evaporating medical co-morbidities and my emotional health!!!  I intend to keep her around for the rest of my LONGER and BETTER life!

Marie had her gastric bypass surgery in January of 2012. You can read more of her story on her blog, My Gastric Bypass Journey  and she will be guest blogging for Rose Knows Health with updates of her progress.

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Surviving Well: Rob, Throat and Neck Cancer

Posted on April 30, 2012 by

Rob has lived all over the world. After spending most of his childhood in Germany and Illinois, it was his job in the transportation industry that brought him to Denver in 2002, where he settled down. 

In 2008, Rob went in to see his doctor for what was supposed to be a routine checkup. He was pretty healthy, and all of his tests came back normal, but he had a swollen tonsil that he just couldn’t seem to shake. He asked his doctor to take a look, and he was prescribed some antibiotics. When those didn’t work, the doctor referred Rob to an ear nose and throat (ENT) specialist. 

Rob’s ENT doctor thought it was a cancerous growth and ordered a biopsy. The results were not good – Rob had Stage 3 throat and neck cancer. 

“At first, I couldn’t believe that I had cancer,” Rob says. “But then I decided to look at it as just another challenge—it was something I was just going to have to deal with, like losing a job or your house burning down or another tragedy. Instead of wallowing and being sad, I decided to look at it like, ‘What do I need to do to fix this?’” 

Rob went to see Dr. Alan Feiner, an oncologist at Rose, who put him on a treatment plan of chemotherapy and radiation. Rob says that he was lucky, because he responded very well to the treatment and had very minimal side effects. 

“My mom had talked to someone who had the same cancer decades ago and who never quite recovered from their surgery. When she came out visit, she thought that she was going to have to take care of me,” Rob recalls. “She was so surprised and excited to see how well I was doing. I was the one driving her around!” 

After Rob finished treatment, his first MRI came back clean, and he has been in remission ever since. Today, he sees what he refers to as his “herd” of doctors every few months but says it is more for maintenance than anything else. Music has played a big part in his life and he spends his time playing the trumpet in a Denver community band and working in the transportation field. 

Rob credits his own positive attitude and the support of his family, friends and partner for helping him get better. 

“I tried not to have a negative attitude,” Rob says. “The nurses at the infusion center would tell other patients to come talk to me when they were having a bad day. It’s not that I was any different from anyone else there, but I honestly made a point to always have a positive outlook, and I think it really helped me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rose “Surviving Well” Calendar is a 12-month calendar highlighting our cancer services, physicians, and inspirational stories from our patients. Rob is our survivor for April.

 

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Part 3: UPDATE- My Gastric Bypass Journey

Posted on April 27, 2012 by

By Marie Silverstein 

Read Part 1 and Part 2 of Marie’s story.

Marie

It’s been about two months since I updated my journey for all of you, and it’s been quite an adventure!  

My 6 week post-op check-up and class went great.  At that point, I was officially down 40 pounds.  I had just run my first 7K (well, walked/jogged my first 7K), I felt great, and I could start eating more “normal” food (my new normal, not what everyone else can eat). 

Because of my strictures, my pouch was still really tiny, so a meal for me was still about an ounce of food.  I had to chew it like crazy, and I could no longer drink when I ate; I had to wait until an hour afterwards.  I struggled a bit with getting in enough protein as a result, but that will get better with time.  I have to eat every 3 hours, which is hard because I’m never hungry! 

I’ve donated 10 garbage bags of clothes, and I no longer own anything from my pre-surgery days.  

I have LOADS of energy, and am sleeping better that I have in 20 years, maybe longer.  I no longer snore, and I don’t get up all the time during the night. 

Before the surgery, I suffered from depression, hypertension, pre-diabetes, sleeping issues, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Now my depression, hypertension and pre-diabetes are all gone, and the asthma and arthritis no longer require daily meds.

I am training daily for the Colfax Marathon Relay with my team, and taking lots of walks with my dog and my husband. And my business (I am a Regional VP with Arbonne) is BOOMING!  My renewed self-confidence is attracting people to me and my business, and I truly believe that is due to the fact that I now believe in myself.   

A small part of me really wishes I had done this sooner – yet I know that I was not ready for whatever reason before now.  I am so grateful that I did make this HUGE change, and for all the people in my life that are so supportive.   

Here are photos from the night before my surgery on January 26, and a few progress pictures taken 2 months post-op. 

Starting weight: 241lbs/BMI of 40.

Marie, before gastric bypass

Weight at progress photos:  187lbs/BMI of 31.5.   Weight loss of 54lbs, halfway to goal of 135 (surgeon’s goal is 150 or BMI of 25).

Marie, 9 weeks after gastric bypass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marie had her gastric bypass surgery in January of 2012. You can read more of her story on her blog, My Gastric Bypass Journey  and she will be guest blogging for Rose Knows Health with updates of her progress.

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Body Mass Index vs. Body Fat Percentage

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

Obesity in America has become a well-recognized epidemic. In fact, the Center for Disease Control estimates that 35 percent of American adults and 17 percent of American children are obese. However, according to a study from the New York University School of Medicine, that number is likely much higher.

The CDC bases their obesity rate on the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated using only a person’s height and weight and is very general estimate of body fat.

And using BMI as the sole indicator of obesity may be missing nearly 40 percent of obesity cases, says the NYU School of Medicine study.

The study used BMI and two other types of obesity testing to measure body fat in the participants. What the researchers found was that BMI underestimated the subject’s body fat by an average of 4% and the number of missed obesity diagnosis jumped significantly in older women who may not have gained any weight, but had lost muscle mass with age.

“Studies like these continually show that testing for BMI or weight is not a sufficient indicator of good health or optimum weight,” said Neil Wolkodoff, PhD and Director of the Denver Center for Health and Sports Sciences (DCHSS). “People may fall in the normal BMI range but are unhealthy because they have too much body fat and not enough muscle mass.”

Indeed, the researchers also warn of the future dangers for people who mistakenly think they fall into the average ranges. They say that patients are misinformed that they are fit and thin, and then they bump into heart attacks and diabetes as they age. If they were made aware of their issues when they were young, they would be able to proactively make diet and exercise changes to get to healthier levels.

“BMI also doesn’t tell you how your weight is distributed,” says Wolkodoff. “A person might fall into the normal range, but have a lot of visceral fat, which is the more dangerous type of fat from a health perspective. The more visceral fat there is around the central organs, the higher the stress on the body.” 

Advocates for using BMI testing for obesity screening say that cost and ease of use (it’s free and you only need to know your height and weight to do it) are two of the reasons it should continue to be used. 

However, there are a variety of other more accurate body composition tests available and one of the newest technologies is accessible at the Denver Center for Health and Sports Sciences. 

inbody 720

InBody720 Testing Machine

Last August, DCHSS was the first in Colorado to unveil the InBody720 Body Composition machine. In less than two minutes, the InBody720 offers high-precision measurements of weight, lean body mass by segment, body fat mass, total body water, BMI, and Basal Metabolic Rate, to provide a comprehensive picture of a patient’s health, optimal weight and specific exercise needs.Additionally, this technology has been scientifically verified to be just as accurate as a DEXA scan or underwater weighing. 

“BMI can be a useful initial screening, yet without knowing muscular mass levels it is almost impossible to determine what type of exercise program will improve a patient’s profile for maximum results,” Wolkodoff added. “The test is also valuable in that it measures how effective someone’s exercise program is at not only maintaining ideal weight, but moreover how effective the program is at maintaining muscle mass and metabolism, both of which decline with age without proper training.” 

DCHSS offers body composition analysis with the InBody720 as a single test with a consultation for $75. It is also a part of the comprehensive testing package. To schedule an appointment, or for more information, please contact the Rose Center for Health and Sports Sciences at 303-320-2870.

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The Importance of Protecting Your Family From Whooping Cough

Posted on April 10, 2012 by

Since the 1980s, whooping cough has been on the rise, especially in teens and babies. That’s just one factor experts considered when they recently expanded the list of who should get a booster shot against the disease. 

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes unstoppable coughing and difficulty breathing. A “whooping” sound is commonly heard when a person with pertussis is coughing or struggling to breathe and symptoms can last up to six weeks. 

Whooping cough can spread very easily through the air. When a person with pertussis sneezes or coughs, tiny droplets containing the bacteria are spread and can easily be passed from person to person. 

People of all ages are susceptible to whooping cough, but infants and children are especially at risk for severe medical complications as a result of whooping cough. 

“Because whooping cough is spread so easily, it is important for anyone who has a lot of contact with children or infants to take precautions against it,” says Dr. Stephanie Ring, OB/GYN, at Rose Women’s Care. “In its early stages, it can look like a common cold, so making sure you’re vaccinated, and taking general precautions like washing your hands frequently and staying away from people who are sick can go a long way.” 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines for the Tdap vaccine. Like the DTaP shot given to infants and young children, this combination shot protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis in older children and adults. 

According to the CDC, Tdap coverage is 56 percent among adolescents and less than 6 percent among adults. 

Tdap Guidelines Expand Shot’s Reach 

A few things haven’t changed. Pre-teens and teens should still get a dose of Tdap to boost their immunity. Adults who didn’t get one during youth can also roll up their sleeves. 

However, the CDC and AAP now recommend a dose of Tdap for these additional groups:

  • Health care workers
  • Children ages 7 to 10 who haven’t received a diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine before, or whose vaccine records are incomplete
  • Adults of any age who may come in contact with infants 12 months or younger, including grandparents or caregivers
  • Adults age 65 or older who haven’t received it before can also get the shot, even if they don’t have regular contact with children. 

Tdap is also recommended for pregnant women. But always talk with your doctor first.  

“For women who are pregnant, the Tdap vaccine is usually given after 28 weeks of pregnancy,” said Dr. Ring. “Not only does it protect the pregnant woman against whooping cough, but there is some passive immunity transferred to the fetus, and enhanced immunity transferred through breast milk after the baby is born.” 

Pertussis Is Most Severe in Infants

Vaccination remains the best way to ward off whooping cough. You can also protect your baby by keeping her away from people who are coughing or have other cold symptoms. 

About half of infants younger than 1 who get pertussis end up in the hospital. Talk with your doctor if you or your child have a severe cough or cold symptoms that don’t clear up after one to two weeks.

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Will Peyton Manning’s Neck Surgeries Hurt His Ability to Play as a Denver Bronco?

Posted on March 21, 2012 by

Dr. Michael Shen

Since Peyton Manning announced on Monday that he would be joining the Denver Broncos for the 2012 season, many Broncos fans have been wondering about his health and how the neck surgeries he has undergone in the last year would impact his playing ability. Dr. Michael Shen, an orthopedic and spine surgeon at Rose Medical Center, spoke yesterday with KMGH Channel 7 about the this issue.

According to Dr. Shen, when a patient undergoes a neck fusion procedure, it can be done to relieve stress on nerves in the neck. During the surgery, the surgeon inserts an implant that helps permanently fuse two or more vertebrae to provide great strength and stability. In the recovery process, once fusion occurs, the patient shouldn’t be at risk for future instability or weakness in the neck. Dr. Shen said that Manning will be at no greater risk than any other football player for sustaining a new neck or spine injury.

The true question, Dr. Shen says, if how the damaged nerves are rehabbed. In Manning’s case, those damaged nerves are impacting his throwing motion because the nerves run into his arms and can cause weakness in the muscle. Even though the fusion in the neck has been successful, according to Manning and team doctors, he will still need therapy and conditioning to repair the damaged nerves.

Dr. Shen said that he has no doubt that Manning can become an elite athlete again, especially given his focus on rehabbing the damaged nerves and rebuilding any lost musculature. As Broncos fans, we hope that’s true and that our future quarterback will be back to full strength by the season opener!

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Surviving Well: Shelly, Colon Cancer

Posted on March 16, 2012 by

When Shelly Mercer turned 50, she decided to follow the recommended screening guidelines from the American Cancer Society and have a colonoscopy done. 

Shelly

“Through my job, I had gotten to know Dr. Susan Sgambati, a surgeon specializing in colon cancer at Rose,” Shelly says. “Knowing that she had been named a top doctor in Denver several times, I went to see her for the test.” 

It was good decision on Shelly’s part, because the results of the colonoscopy were not so good– Dr. Sgambati had discovered a tumor the size of a fist that was blocking up much of Shelly’s colon.

”Dr. Sgambati waited for my husband to get there before sitting down with us to tell us the news,” Shelly recalls. “She scheduled me for surgery right away, and they took out 20 lymph nodes, 9 of which had cancer, and diagnosed me at Stage 3 colon cancer.”

After surgery, Shelly started chemotherapy treatments for six months with Dr. Alan Feiner.

“I remember going in for my first round of chemo, and I was really anxious and nervous,” Shelly says. “Dr. Feiner and his whole staff are really good at explaining everything and helping put you at ease when you start your treatments.”

Shelly did struggle with some side effects from the chemo, including low red blood count levels and a pins and needles feeling in her limbs, but says that the support of her family and friends helped get her through.

“Everyone was so nice, and made sure that my family was taken care of during my treatment,” Shelly says. “I also had a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer 5 days after I found out I had colon cancer, and we really helped each other, since we were going through similar experiences.”

Shelly finished her chemotherapy in May of 2011 and was happy that she was able to see her youngest daughter get married in June of 2011. She still has to see her doctors very regularly for testing and checkups.

“When I was going through treatment, my family and my faith played a huge part in my recovery,” Shelly says. “For me, being there at my daughter’s wedding was really important. I also knew that I had to give up all of my worries and trust that in the end it would be okay.”

Shelly is thankful that she followed the testing guidelines and had her colonoscopy when recommended.

“If I hadn’t had the colonoscopy when I did, I don’t know what would have happened, or if I would even be here,” Shelly says. “Now, I encourage everyone I know to go and get screened.”

The Rose “Surviving Well” Calendar is a 12-month calendar highlighting our cancer services, physicians, and some inspirational stories from our patients. Shelly is our survivor for March, which is also Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

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Heart Health and Rose Rapid Heart Care at Lowry

Posted on March 9, 2012 by

Did you know that heart attacks and heart disease are the leading cause of death in the United States? Although treatments have continually improved, it’s still essential to recognize the warning signs and preventive measures we can take for our own health and for the health of our loved ones around us. 

To better care for those patients potentially dealing with cardiovascular conditions, we’ve opened Rose Rapid Heart Care at Lowry, in partnership with Colorado Heart and Vascular. This center in located at the Rose Imaging Department at Lowry and will offer pre-operative cardiovascular testing, echocardiography, stress tests, stress echocardiography, and EKGs. With some same-day and walk-in appointments available, this center allows us to give patients access to these screenings within a reasonable time frame. 

“We understand that when people are concerned about their heart health, they can’t wait days to see a specialist or go in for testing,” said Dr. Vijay Subbarao, Cardiologist and Medical Director of the Heart and Vascular Center at Rose Medical Center. “That’s why we opened Rose Rapid Heart Care at Lowry. This fast access paired with our excellent patient care gives patients a better heart care experience.” 

Another important component of our heart care is our emergency services. In December, CHEST PAIN CENTERwe were proud to receive full accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. With this accreditation, we have demonstrated expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria, and we passed an onsite review by the accreditation specialists. The Chest Pain Center is activated when a patient presents to the emergency room with chest pain symptoms. The Rose cardiovascular nurse practitioners are consulted to evaluate the patient and order 12 lead EKG, lab work and perform stress testing if indicated. The nurse practitioners always consult with the on-call cardiologist and dictate a letter to the primary care physician regarding the evaluation. This accreditation means that we care for our chest pain patients quickly and according to current quality standards. 

If you are worried about your heart health, the American Heart Association recommends “My Life Check – Live Better with Life’s Simple 7.” These steps – Get Active, Control Cholesterol, Eat Better, Manage Blood Pressure, Lose Weight, Reduce Blood Sugar and Stop Smoking – provide a framework to help you start making better choices for your health. Visit www.mylifecheck.heart.org to take the assessment find out how healthy your heart is. 

To learn more about the Rose Rapid Heart Care Center, please call 303-320-ROSE.

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Rose University Offers Employees Education and Development Programs

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

Ralph S. Marston Jr. wrote, “Excellence is the result of caring about what you do, and putting your very best effort into what you care about. Excellence is choice you always have the option of making.”

At Rose, we want our employees to achieve excellence, which is why we are excited to announce our second year of Rose University, which provides education and development programs and opportunities for Rose employees, most of which are free of charge. Rose University is separated into three different schools, each with a different learning focus: the School of Workforce Development, the School of Leadership and Personal Development and the School of Professional Development.

The School of Workforce Development is designed mainly for non-clinical staff to help further develop their work-related skills. One of the programs within this school is the School at Work Program.

Participants in this eight month program receive career advice, help with goal setting, preparation for degree or certificate programs and more to help them advance in their careers. In 2011, six out of our seven participants successfully completed the program, and one employee credits their recent promotion to being a part of School at Work. Eligible employees include staff in dietary, environmental services, patient transport security and other entry-level office or nursing positions.

In 2012, The School of Workforce Development will be offering a School at Work session, as well as English as a Second Language classes and some college and graduate courses for employees who are working towards a bachelor or masters degree. There also will be a “Learning Buffet” series, which was developed specifically for Rose employees to further their knowledge and insight of clinical areas and patient diseases.

The School of Leadership and Personal Development is designed to help Rose employees increase their knowledge of people, teams, and leadership skills. This year there will be over 40 different courses offered for employee development, ranging from Time and Stress Management to Effective Communication to PC Skills: Microsoft PowerPoint.

This school is also home to several programs designed towards creating future leaders. 2011 marked the beginning of a new program called “Board-Certified Rose Leaders”. This year-long program is designed for employees who someday hope to be a director, vice-president or executive and includes seminars, hands-on projects and mentoring to help accelerate the growth of our future Rose leaders. As an HCA hospital, Rose employees are also invited to apply for the HCA Executive Development Program. This program is for all HCA employees who are interested in someday becoming a hospital Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) or Chief Operating Officer (COO). The program lasts for 2-4 years and prepares its participants to become executives after completion.

Finally, we have the School of Professional Development, which is mainly for our clinical staff. The classes offered include Spring and Fall Education Excursions as well as a variety of medical topics including chest pain, stroke care, women’s care and pediatric care. There are also nursing skills classes and development programs for the nursing staff.

In only one year, we had over 500 students attend 56 classes and programs and we ranked #14 in HCA for employee engagement. Rose Medical is proud of the achievements of each school at Rose University and each of the participants involved, and we are excited to see how the programs, and our employees, flourish in 2012.

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