Routine colonoscopy catches cancer, robotic surgery removes the disease

With no family history, no symptoms and no findings at her last screening in 2013, the words Debby Caviness heard after her colonoscopy last fall were totally unexpected: “You have a mass in your colon and it’s suspicious.”

Facing her newfound cancer diagnosis, Debby now had to decide where she would undergo surgery and treatment. She had past experience treating her cutaneous T-cell lymphoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, but this time she chose to stay close to home and her family in Las Cruces.

The gastroenterologist referred her to Diego Ramos, MD, FACS, a robotically trained general surgeon at Memorial General Surgery Associates. After studying her case, he recommended a robotically assisted colectomy to remove the cancer.

“When I went to see Dr. Ramos, I was immediately comforted,” Debby recalled. “So, I just said ‘OK, God, I’m here and I’m going to have it done. As scared as I was that I had colon cancer – because you read about it killing people all the time – I was grateful. I was very grateful.”

With just a few small incisions, Dr. Ramos removed 8 inches of Debby’s colon and 18 lymph nodes.

Follow-up blood work confirmed the good news. There was no need for further treatment. To monitor the situation moving forward, Debby will have quarterly blood tests and undergo a follow-up colonoscopy with Dr. Ramos in September.

“I’m so glad that I chose to stay here in town and not go anywhere,” she said. “I’ve never had any bad experiences at Memorial.”

The power of robotic surgery

Debby was unfamiliar with the benefits of robotic surgery until she met Dr. Ramos – the image of her massive scar from gall bladder removal earlier in life came to mind when she first learned she would need another surgery.

A robotic colectomy, however, is performed with several small incisions instead of one long incision down the center of the abdomen which is done in an open colectomy. The robotic system delivers 3D high-definition views, giving surgeons a crystal-clear view of the surgical area magnified 10 times what the human eye sees. It translates every movement the surgeon makes in real time, bending and rotating instruments that move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion.

Much to her surprise, Debby felt up for moving around almost immediately after the surgery. What’s more, she was in good enough condition that Dr. Ramos sent her home the evening of her second day at the hospital. She could rest more easily in the comfort of her own home and be closer to her loving husband, children and grandchildren.

Other advantages of a robotic colectomy include reduced postoperative pain and a faster overall recovery period. The gastrointestinal tract also usually recovers more rapidly with robotic surgery, so patients can resume eating sooner.

In the end, Debby said she felt incredibly blessed and thankful that she met Dr. Ramos, recommending him to her friends and family members with general surgery needs.

“I feel like we kind of hit it off,” she said. “He was just so sweet and so friendly. I just felt comfortable and that he knew what he was doing.”

Don’t delay your colonoscopy

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Debby implores everyone to stay on top of their colonoscopy screening schedule. Without her screening last fall, her health situation could be entirely different.

According to the American Cancer Society, you should begin colon cancer screenings at age 45. Those at higher risk or with a family history may need to begin screening earlier, and more frequently.

Whether you begin at 45 or earlier if you’re at higher risk, the most important thing is to prioritize this vital screening when you reach the recommended age. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women, excluding skin cancers. It is also the third leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women.

And while the majority of these cases occur in people 50 and older, the disease can occur in men and women at any age. Additionally, the incidence of early-onset colorectal tumors has risen more rapidly in Hispanic and Latino people than in those of any other racial and ethnic groups.

Take a free digestive health assessment at https://www.mmclc.org/digestive-health-program

Learn more about robotic-assisted surgery at MMC: https://www.mmclc.org/surgical-services