Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center has established a men’s health center, offering a health care concept engineered exclusively for men by medical experts.
“Our approach is to personalize health services and positively impact our patients’ health,” said Southwest Health System CEO Norman Price. “It is our goal to prevent health problems before they start. Early detection and early treatment of health problems are the cornerstones of our strategy.”
And thanks to the latest evolution in surgical technology, physicians at Southwest will have an effective alternative to traditional open surgery and laparoscopy, allowing them to provide patients with the best of both approaches.
That alternative is the da Vinci Surgical System, and Southwest will be using the technology to treat prostate cancer at the beginning of 2012.
To remove a cancerous prostate tumor — a procedure known as a prostatectomy — surgeons at Southwest will use the robotic-assisted system. It provides minimally invasive surgery that may be more precise, less painful and with less blood loss, Price said.
It will improve clinical outcomes and reduce the length of hospital stay, Price said.
“It’s going to get you back into your productive life faster than with routine surgery,” he said.
Although the men’s health center does not yet have a designated space, the services are being provided.
“We’ll coordinate through the urologists and other services directed at men,” Price said.
Price said the Southwest medical team has years of experience treating common conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. In addition, the medical center offers treatment of sleep problems and hormone replacement for men who lose testosterone as they age.
Statistics show that nearly one out of every six American men will develop prostate cancer. With greater awareness, prostate cancer detection is on the rise and mortality is declining. And, Price said, better treatments are allowing men to return to active and productive lives after treatment.
“We aggressively screen for heart disease and cancer,” Price said, referring to primary care health providers. “We’re going to have a heightened focus on it for men’s health. We have one clear goal: to identify and treat your personal health risks. And our medical service will be tailored especially to men.”
Of particular importance is the emphasis on men’s prostate health. As women have gotten the message about the need for mammography services to detect cancers, Price said he hopes the focus on men’s health will result in early detection of prostate cancer.
The $1.4 million da Vinci system will be stationed in a surgical unit in the Cardiovascular Institute of Mississippi, next door to SMRMC.
“The (robotic) technology has been out for several years. We were waiting until we had everything in place,” Price said.
The first physicians trained for its use will be urologist William R. Duncan, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Donald Netherland, and physicians from the Women’s Health Center and McComb OB/GYN Associates.
Price said not only will the da Vinci system ease the surgical experience, it’s also a great tool for recruiting medical talent.
“Eighty-five percent of urologists coming out of school are trained on the da Vinci,” he said.
The daVinci also has obstetrics/gynecological and heart surgery applications.
“This state-of-the art technology will give our patients access to the most modern minimally invasive technology available,” Price said.
He said he hopes to have a designated area for men to come in for routine exams, targeting specific health problems of men.
“Electronic medical records has made this a lot easier to do,” Price said.
He said a patient advocate office will be set up and staffed with a nurse who will be responsible for helping patients who have questions, determining where they need to be and assisting them in the system.
Price said the initial start would be with primary care physician, and the next step for men is the urologist.
“If you have an open (standard) surgical procedure, that means weeks of recuperation,” he said. “The daVinci really cuts that time down. It will be the centerpiece of the men’s health services.”
Other health concerns are cardiac health, managing high cholesterol and diabetes, and helping men with impotency.
Statistically, Price said, women live longer than men. He believes that’s due, in part, to the resistance some men have in seeing a doctor.
“Women take better care of themselves,” he said. “Too often, men in pain tend to think it will go away. Women get it looked after.”
