It was Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud who said that the best thing to do is to “do all you can for your patient and cause him as little as possible”. Bringing this holistic concept to medical practice, Dr Olene Thomas, consultant surgeon at May Pen Hospital (MPH), revolutionised care at the hospital when she led the team that performed the diocese’s first laparoscopic colon surgery.
“I know it’s special, groundbreaking and historic to be performing this operation, but at the time I couldn’t allow myself to be overwhelmed by the moment. I’m actually from May Pen – I was born at May Pen Hospital – and I’ve always been passionate about improving the standards of care here, so I can’t think of a better way to do it than to introduce laparoscopic surgery,” Dr Thomas said. The Sunday Gleaner.
He said the surgical procedure had recently been introduced to Jamaica’s green shores but was only available at facilities such as the University Hospital of the West Indies (UWHI) and Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).Having performed the procedure several times at UHWI, he was excited to introduce the method to rural communities.
“This was the first laparoscopic colon surgery performed at May Pen Hospital and it was a major case. [It is] “In developed countries, this is typically done as a standard procedure. In Jamaica, this is primarily performed at UHWI or KPH, so for May Pen to be offering this type of care is significant and speaks to the advancements in patient care across the region. We have also performed the first laparoscopic appendix surgery, laparoscopic hernia surgery and diagnostic laparoscopic procedures,” he said.
Laparoscopic colon surgery, also known as keyhole surgery, is performed through small incisions in the abdomen, he explained. “This procedure avoids large incisions, sparing patients pain and long post-operative recovery periods. Patients can return to normal physical activity in a shorter time and return to work and be more productive,” he revealed. In addition, this procedure also results in better cosmetic outcomes.
According to Dr. Thomas, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among both men and women and it often goes undetected as it does not show any symptoms at various stages. He is particularly passionate about this field as he has come across many cases and incidents where people have been affected by colorectal cancer due to delayed detection.
Common symptoms
“If it progresses further, bleeding from below, [your] “Stool. Other common symptoms include abdominal pain, constipation, and intestinal blockages. That’s why early screening and management of colorectal cancer is so important — you want to get screened and find those little growths called polyps,” he says. To find early polyps, you can do a stool test, colonoscopy, or CT scan.
In a recent case, early treatment led to a favorable outcome. “We recently performed this procedure on a female patient. With early treatment, she was able to [a] “It was a small incision surgery. I was able to leave the hospital on the third day after surgery, so it went very well. My recovery was also smooth.”
Partnering with Kingston-based AA Laquis, he said the company was instrumental in providing much-needed equipment such as energy devices, staplers and other specialized sutures required for the procedure. This is in addition to the equipment already provided. “We have had the laparoscope tower since 2017, which is the basic equipment required for this type of surgery,” he added.
To prepare the patient, she had to undergo a colonoscopy before the operation “to locate the tumor and know exactly where it is,” and she also had to have her bowel prepped. [a] Perform bowel cleansing prior to surgery to reduce contamination during surgery.
It’s important to note that the surgery was completely laparoscopic. The doctor said that part of the colon was removed along with the tumor, and the intestines were reconnected via laparoscopic surgery. “We didn’t have to cut the patient open to reconnect the intestines, and we didn’t need a stoma bag or drainage bag.”
Dr Thomas’ journey has come full circle and he is now improving the lives of patients in Clarendon and surrounding areas, eliminating the need for them to travel to Kingston. Always one to share the risks of laparoscopic surgery, Dr Thomas looks forward to improving even more lives by performing these procedures in the near future.
