Urological Success Story

In January 2009, 67-year-old James Knox of Carlisle began noticing changes in his nighttime urinary pattern. The retired private accountant wasn’t too concerned, but when he remembered that changes in urination can be symptomatic of prostate cancer, he decided to have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

To James’ surprise, both the PSA test and the biopsy that followed were positive for prostate cancer. He was presented with two surgical options at Carlisle Regional Medical Center: traditional surgery or minimally invasive surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System. Although James wasn’t familiar with the da Vinci system, he opted for the robotic-assisted procedure because it sounded like the easiest option.

In February 2009, James’ prostate was removed via five small abdominal incisions. He spent two nights at the medical center following the procedure and experienced minimal discomfort.

“I was amazed at the lack of pain,” says James. “The nurses asked me several times to rate my pain on a scale of one to 10, and I never exceeded three.”

James returned to normal activities three weeks after the procedure. He’s also visited his surgeon for follow-up care and will continue to have PSA tests to ensure the threat of cancer is gone.

“The care I received at Carlisle Regional was excellent,” James says. “I truly felt like everyone there was focused on taking care of me, and that’s exactly what they did.”

Three weeks after his da Vinci surgical procedure, James Knox was able to return his passion, photography.