By Ray Rogers
Having felt a sharp, persistent pain in my abdomen all day long, I finally ventured out in search of sustenance. It was then that it hit me—maybe I’m in worse shape than I want to admit. I drove straight to the emergency room at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital to have it checked out. In no time I was admitted for an overnight stay. I’d be first on the docket in the morning to have my appendix removed.
The good news: The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art machines to better facilitate surgeries. “These highly advanced, precision tools are essentially a dexterous extension of the surgeon’s hands and assist in performing complex, minimally invasive procedures with remarkable efficiency,” says Dr. Konstantinos Spaniolas, president of Stony Brook Medicine Community Medical, speaking about the da Vinci Xi, which assists in treating cancer, urology, thoracic, gastrointestinal and gynecologic diseases, as well as treating hernias, and the Mako, which is utilized for knee replacements. “They can execute tiny incisions and finer tissue manipulation to help reduce blood loss and lower the infection rate with the goal of quickening recovery.”
My results felt like a miracle. I was done in under an hour, discharged an hour after the surgery, and back at my laptop writing and editing stories that very night. A testament to my will? Perhaps. But I really put it down to the excellent care I received. Downtime was extremely minimal, and pain nothing an extra-strength Tylenol couldn’t alleviate.
It’s no longer necessary to travel back to Manhattan for these types of surgeries. The latest developments are right here in Southampton. southampton.stonybrookmedicine.edu