Houston's new innovative robotic procedure for colon cancer
With the recent passing of "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman, awareness of colorectal cancer is on the rise and the doctors at Houston Colon want to offer preventative advice. "Screening for colon cancer at a young age saves lives," according to Dr Rachel Ellsworth, board-certified colon and rectal surgeon at Houston Colon.
Currently, colon cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in the US, which makes it's imperative to try to catch it early for fast treatment. Over 150,000 new cases of colon cancer are diagnosed each year, most commonly in patients over the age of 50, although there's been an alarming increase in a population younger than 50 (in their 30s and 40s) in recent years. Colon cancer is also responsible for more than 50,000 deaths per year. "When caught early though, colon cancer is one of the few cancers that is almost 100% curable by surgically removing the disease," says Dr Joshua Coursey of Houston Colon. However, traditional surgery usually creates large scars across your abdomen, which could lead to infections, hernias and even colostomies.
Dr Eric Haas along with Dr. JP LeFave and their partners at Houston Colon developed a breakthrough solution to help you beat colon cancer and avoid traditional surgery that leads to those large scars and possible infections; an innovative robotic NICE surgery. The NICE procedure is a minimally invasive state of the art technique using modern and innovative technologies and methods. This innovative solution will be able to remove the cancer without an open incision and, in nearly all cases, without a colostomy. The benefits of the robotic surgery include no large open incision or large scar across the belly. With this surgery, you'll be in much less pain and be able to avoid the use of opioid drugs after surgery. The robotic surgery is safer and also enhances recovery time, which means a shorter stay in the hospital (average 2 days vs. 5-7 days for traditional surgery) and easier and earlier transition back to work and daily living. The benefits also include a lower risk of hernia and lower risk of surgical site infections.
What's the advantage of seeing a Colorectal specialist at Houston Colon for the robotic surgery compared to another Houston hospital? For starters, Houston Colon is the premier group in the county performing the Robotic NICE procedure and the first in the country to use Robotic Xi technology. They are also leading the way with technique, as well as training hundreds of surgeons for practice throughout the world. Currently, they have the highest volume of robotic colorectal surgery in the country and continue to lead the way in new technologies.
"Removing colon cancer and giving someone their life back without a colostomy bag or large incision is why we strive to offer the safest and most modern care using robotic technology," says Dr Eric Haas, Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Houston Methodist and HCA Houston Healthcare. To schedule an appointment with Houston Colon, click here.