A 63-year-old UK guitarist who was suffering from prostate cancer got a new lease of life through advanced robotic surgery in at a private hospital in the city.
David Kelly, a guitarist by profession from the UK plays music in Goa for six months in a year. During his stay in Goa this year, he was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer in November.
Mr Kelly and his wife, Natalie, first tried to get him treated in the UK but the options seemed impractical. In the UK, doctors from the National Health Service asked Mr Kelly to either wait or advised for active surveillance (in which the patient is not admitted to hospital but takes medication and is under the doctor’s care) which was not suitable considering his age.
Helpless, Natalie started looking for other options and also sent his health reports to other doctors. Meanwhile, Natalie came to know about city-based uro-oncological robotic surgeon, Dr Anup Ramani.
After going through Mr Kelly’s case file, doctors at Saifee Hospital advised for advanced robotic surgery to the couple, who agreed after consulting with other doctors in the UK. The couple then flew to the city from Goa for the surgery.
“Robotic surgery is the most advanced treatment for prostate cancer where, no large cut is made and surgery is performed through 4-5 small holes. It is the latest cutting edge treatment for prostate cancer,” said Dr Ramani. Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among men across the globe. But there is lack of awareness among people, which often delays the treatment.
“A simple blood test after the age of 50 can save thousands of lives. Prostate cancer can be fully cured if caught early. It has no symptoms. Even patients with full blown prostate cancer rarely have any symptoms,” said Dr Ramani.
The simple surgery meant Mr Kelly could start walking within a few days of the procedure. “David started walking around the next day of the surgery and was ready for discharge on the fourth day. He is now ready to play his guitar again in Goa,” said Natalie.
