Steve Shelton, a retired middle school principal who lives in Villa Rica, is living life to his fullest years after having a robotic prostatectomy in December of 2014. The procedure was performed by Dr. Justin Watson at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.
Robotic prostate cancer surgery has several key advantages over the more traditional approach. It shortens the time spent in a facility following a surgery. It also reduces surgery site blood loss, scarring and pain, and speeds up recovery. This method also has the potential to preserve nerves.
Steve remembered he was in his fourteenth year serving as the principal of Mount Paran Christian School Middle School when his urologist, Dr. Thomas Emerson, broke the news that he had cancer.
“I had to lean up against the wall for a minute,” Steve said. “Dr. Emerson drew out diagrams and presented us with all of our options. My wife, Brenda, and I made the decision right then that I was going to do the robotic surgery. I wanted to be decisive and take action and I wanted the cancer gone.”
Robotic prostate cancer surgery reduces surgery site blood loss, scarring and pain, and speeds up recovery.
“The robot allows us to see the prostate better and spare the nerves, which can preserve sexual function,” said Dr. Watson.
SteveCare
Retired Principal Chooses Robotic Surgery to Treat Prostate Cancer
Published on September 14, 2021
Last updated 10:40 AM September 14, 2021
Prevention is the key to better health. It's very important to see your physician regularly so that we can screen for these abnormalities before they cause symptoms, let alone any type of health threat.
- Dr. Scott Miller
Wellstar Medical Director of Urologic Services & Robotic Surgical Services
Diagnosing prostate cancer
While Wellstar gives patients access to advanced medical technology to treat prostate cancer, early detection is the key to catching the disease in its early stages.Over the course of a few years before his diagnosis, Steve and his doctors had tracked his PSA rising slowly.
“Prevention is the key to better health,” said Dr. Scott Miller, Wellstar’s medical director of urologic services and robotic surgical services. “It's very important to see your physician regularly so that we can screen for these abnormalities before they cause symptoms, let alone any type of health threat.”
Primary care physicians and urologists typically use prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests to screen men for prostate cancer. When prostate cancer is suspected, these same tests can help monitor a man’s health over time. Because interventions for prostate cancer can have side effects, treatment is typically recommended only when it becomes absolutely necessary. Steve’s physicians advocated for waiting until his PSA number reached a certain level.
“It was absolutely reassuring that these doctors were not going to jump right into treatment,” Steve said.
When his PSA numbers reached levels of concern, Dr. Emerson referred Steve to a colleague to perform a biopsy to confirm the suspicion of cancer. Steve remembers Dr. Emerson explaining that Dr. Justin Watson was a scholar in the field and had a high level of training and experience in robotic surgery.
“Justin was so warm and reassuring,” Steve remembered. “I knew God had provided a great doctor and I didn’t have worries.”
The biopsy confirmed that it was cancer and Steve moved forward with a robotic prostatectomy by Dr. Watson.
“The whole atmosphere in that surgical suite was one of caring, concern and competence,” Steve remembered. “It was like I placed my life in the hands of a loving family.”
Life after robotic surgery
After his prostatectomy, Steve returned to finish his last year at Mount Paran, and then retired from his 45-year career in education. He and his wife moved to Villa Rica to a 14-acre horse farm they share with Sophi, a Spotted Saddle Horse, and Jack, an American Quarter Horse.“We love being here,” said Steve, saying he spends a fair amount of time riding on their property’s pasture. “And I don’t take health for granted. I’m grateful for every single day.”
Now available as an outpatient or same-day procedure
Dr. Watson collaborated with Dr. Miller – who performed the first robotic prostatectomy in the state – to make the prostatectomy procedure available to patients as an outpatient procedure. In 2019, Wellstar became the first health system in metro Atlanta to offer outpatient prostatectomies. Since that time, only about 10% of patients who have their surgery performed in the morning choose to stay overnight.Learn more about the benefits of having an outpatient robotic prostatectomy at Wellstar.
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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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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.
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.