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Article Category: Highlights

Home in Less than 24 Hours

Patients love getting home faster after robotic prostate cancer surgery

Published on August 31, 2021

Last updated 04:06 PM August 31, 2021

Illustration of robotic-assisted technology

Surgery for prostate cancer has evolved, offering men with aggressive prostate cancer more treatment choices. One high-tech treatment is a robotic prostatectomy, where the prostate is removed robotically by a surgeon with specialized training.

Robotic prostate cancer surgery has several key advantages over the more traditional approach. It shortens the time spent in a facility following a surgery. This method also reduces surgery site blood loss, scarring and pain, and speeds up recovery as well as having the potential to preserve nerves.

“The robot allows us to see the prostate better and spare the nerves, which can preserve sexual function,” said Dr. Justin Watson, a urologist who performs robotic prostatectomies at Wellstar Kennestone Advanced Outpatient Center for Surgery in Marietta. Dr. Watson typically meets with patients in the Prostate Cancer STAT Clinic. This clinic allows men an opportunity to meet with multiple prostate cancer specialists on one day in one place so they can benefit from the most comprehensive care.

Read Steve Shelton's story, a man who had a robotic prostatectomy at Wellstar and is living life to his fullest today.

As we looked at the data and others showed it was safe, we learned how to enhance [our patients'] recovery so they would reliably be able to go home the same day.

- Dr. Justin Watson

Wellstar Urologist

Outpatient prostatectomy at Kennestone

While several Wellstar hospitals have offered robotic prostatectomies for a number of years, Wellstar is the first health system in metro Atlanta to offer the procedure at an outpatient surgery center.

“The patients love it,” Dr. Watson said. “One of our priorities is to enhance patient care and satisfaction. Patients are much happier to sleep in their own bed, eat their own food and watch their own television.”

He explained that when he began to offer robotic prostatectomies, patients would typically stay in the hospital for a day or two after surgery, which allowed them to go home a day earlier than what is typical for a traditional open prostatectomy. However, he noticed they often requested to go home much sooner, usually after walking the halls a few times the day of the surgery.

In 2019, Dr. Watson collaborated with Dr. Scott Miller — who performed the first robotic prostatectomy in the state — to make the procedure available to patients so they could go home sooner.

“As we looked at the data and others showed it was safe, we learned how to enhance their recovery so they would reliably be able to go home the same day,” Dr. Watson said.

Since he began to perform same-day prostatectomies in 2019, only about 10% of patients who have their surgery performed in the morning choose to stay overnight. Nearly all patients are able to be home in less than 24 hours.

Dr. Scott Miller, who serves as Wellstar’s director of Robotic Surgical Services, added, “What’s unique about Kennestone’s Outpatient Center is that it is attached to a hospital, so if a patient who was supposed to be outpatient needs to be admitted, there is a hospital with more complex care available right there.”

With advanced medical technology and expert care close to home, Wellstar is changing the way prostate cancer is treated.

Locations where patients can have a robotic prostatectomy

Talk to your urologist to learn more about treatment options for prostate cancer and whether a robotic prostatectomy may be right for you. Men with prostate cancer can have a robotic prostatectomy at Wellstar facilities, including:

  • Wellstar Kennestone Advanced Outpatient Center for Surgery 
  • Wellstar Cobb Medical Center
  • Wellstar Douglas Medical Center
  • Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center
  • Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center
  • Wellstar Paulding Medical Center
  • Wellstar Vinings Health Park

Tags

Justin Michael Watson Scott David Miller Cancer Care
Mens Health
Related Articles
Illustration of Ion system

Highlights

Lung Biopsy Technology at Wellstar Reduces Complications, Speeds Up Treatment

Innovative technology at Wellstar is offering patients a new, minimally invasive option for lung biopsies, reducing complications and helping expedite lung cancer treatment.

The Ion system is a robotic-assisted platform for performing lung biopsies. If a lung cancer screening or any other CT scan shows a suspicious nodule, providers will need to perform a biopsy to determine if the patient has lung cancer and how to proceed with care.

“Those nodules may not be cancer, but in certain situations we still need to know what it is,” said Wellstar Pulmonologist Dr. Timothy Udoji. “The Ion technology helps us biopsy those nodules to get an answer so that additional workup can be done immediately. If it is cancer, we want to catch it at an early stage.”

The system uses a three-dimensional spatial recognition technology that helps guide a catheter down the airway, deep into the lung, all the way to small nodules where biopsies can be performed. The robotic catheter maintains its shape and stability throughout the biopsy process significantly improving diagnostic yield compared to other modalities.

“The better the image and the more certainty we have of the spatial location of the catheter, the better we can avoid complications by making sure we are not too close to a blood vessel or the edge of the lung,” said Wellstar Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Daniel Fortes.

During the biopsy, providers can also use the Ion system to mark an area in the lung, making it easier to find later during surgery.

“If something is very small and hard to find in surgery, Ion can be used to mark that area with dye, or contrast, that allows us to find it in surgery,” Dr. Fortes said. “With this technology added to the surgical robotic system in the operating room, we can better identify those lesions and remove smaller portions of lung, also called segments.”

Technology to help provide peace of mind

The Ion system also has further reach than previous technologies and is able to more easily biopsy nodules in the peripheral areas of the lung. For many cancer patients, this will allow them to initiate care earlier and improve their outcomes, as well as give them peace of mind during the treatment process.

“Mental health impacts physical health. We are able to confidently biopsy and identify these nodules and that means a lot for our patients,” Dr. Udoji said. “Now, with this new technology we are able to get a biopsy done much earlier which has huge outcome implications for malignant nodules.”

At Wellstar, cancer care is tailored for each patient. In the Wellstar STAT Clinic for Lung Cancer, patients meet with multiple specialists at once to discuss their care options and create a personalized treatment plan. Specialists in the STAT Clinics, which are located at Wellstar Cobb, Kennestone, North Fulton and West Georgia medical centers, work with patients to determine the optimal course of treatment and will talk with patients and families about biopsy options, including the Ion system. The STAT Clinics give patients the opportunity to have their diagnoses managed right away, and literature shows that the clinics’ diagnostic and treatment model improves outcomes for patients.

The Ion system is currently in use at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center. Learn more about lung cancer care at wellstar.org/lungcancer.

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Illustration of a person receiving an advanced radiation therapy treatment.

Newsroom

Wellstar Paulding Medical Center Breaks Ground on New Radiation Technology

Wellstar Health System announced a multimillion-dollar investment to bring cutting-edge radiation therapy to Wellstar Paulding Medical Center in Hiram, Georgia on November 2, 2022.

“Our motto is ‘Neighbors Caring for Neighbors’ and these new technologies will enhance access to medical care for every neighbor in Paulding County,” said Ralph Turner, Wellstar senior vice president and president of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. “Our team is focused on providing a patient-centric experience. Having a short drive and the comforts of home and family nearby helps the healing process.”

Breaking ground for groundbreaking radiation technology

The expansion will enhance the patient experience by adding a new radiation vault to house a second linear accelerator — the technology that delivers radiation therapy — and is slated for completion in early 2023.

In the last year, patients received nearly 8,000 radiation treatments. The radiation oncology team often extended hours from 7 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m. to accommodate patients.

During a recent press conference, a group of patients, physicians, healthcare leaders, team members, government leaders and community partners ceremonially broke ground on the major expansion of Wellstar Radiation Oncology. The facility is located on the ground floor of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center’s Outpatient Pavilion at 148 Bill Carruth Parkway in Hiram, Georgia.

The new machine will also bring a leading-edge cancer treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to Paulding County for the first time. This radiation technology uses multiple X-ray beams to treat tumors with highly precise, high-dose radiation to any location in the body, preserving surrounding tissue, organs and nerves. The technology allows patients to have significantly fewer treatment sessions.

“This is a huge step forward for cancer care for the people of Paulding County,” said Dr. William Thoms, who has served as the radiation oncology medical director for Wellstar Paulding Medical Center since 2017. “This expansion will allow people to stay in our community for more advanced treatments with shorter wait times.”

The renovation will also modernize the dressing rooms and add more space to increase patient comfort.

In the last year, patients received nearly 8,000 radiation treatments. The radiation oncology team (pictured) often extended hours from 7 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m. to accommodate patients.

Hospital leaders hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking on a major expansion of Wellstar Radiation Oncology at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. Here, a group holds shovels and wear hard hats at the site of construction.

A rendering of what the new LINAC radiation therapy machine will look like..

Learn more about Wellstar Paulding Medical Center.

Keep reading
Illustration of provider inspecting lung

Highlights

Wellstar Offering Saturday Hours for Lung Cancer Screening November 12

Lung cancer screening can detect cancer earlier, before symptoms show up. Earlier-stage cancers are more easily treatable and more frequently cured, so if you are at increased risk of developing lung cancer, you could benefit from regular low-dose CT scans to monitor your lung health. To expand access to these vital screenings, Wellstar will offer screenings at several imaging locations on Saturday, Nov. 12.

“Lung screening improves a person’s chances of detecting a lung cancer at an early stage and being cured of that cancer,” said Wellstar Thoracic Surgeon Dr. William Mayfield.

Wellstar is partnering with the National Lung Cancer Roundtable, established by the American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology, the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer and the Radiology Healthy Equity Coalition to celebrate National Lung Cancer Screening Day on Nov. 12. While lung scans are always available at Wellstar’s conveniently located imaging centers during regular business hours, offering these Saturday hours will help patients fit screenings into their schedules.

Ask your provider about whether you meet the criteria for screening, or call (470) 793-4AIR (4247) to learn more about qualifying and to make an appointment for a scan. The following Wellstar imaging locations will be open Saturday, Nov. 12:

  • Wellstar Acworth Health Park. 4550 Cobb Parkway North NW, Suite 109 in Acworth. Open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Wellstar Avalon Health Park. 2450 Old Milton Parkway, Suite 101 in Alpharetta.Open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. 2518 Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway in Hiram. Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Wellstar Imaging Services at Cobb Medical Center. 1625 Hospital North Drive in Austell. Open from 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
  • Wellstar Spalding Medical Center. 601 South 8th Street in Griffin. Open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. When you arrive, please check in at the Emergency Department outpatient waiting room.
  • Wellstar Vinings Health Park. 4441 Atlanta Road SE, Suite 101 in Smyrna. Open from 8 a.m. to noon.

In addition to these special hours on Nov. 12, low-dose CT lung scans are available at several Wellstar imaging locations. Call (470) 793-4AIR (4247) to learn more or schedule a screening.

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