Cancer patient James Enfield, 57, didn?t know he made history until he woke up.
The Galena resident was the first patient in Maryland to undergo robotic bladder surgery.
“It?s a slightly more involved and more challenging surgery [than traditional surgery]. It?s a growing technology,” said lead surgeon Dr. Benjamin Lowentritt of Chesapeake Urology Associates.
During the bladder surgery at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Lowentritt, across the room from Enfield, controlled a robot that removed cancerous sections of Enfield?s bladder.
Enfield suffered from invasive bladder cancer since fall 2006.
His symptoms began around Thanksgiving with blood in his urine. Concerned, he contacted family friend Dr. David Goldstein, a urologist at Chesapeake Urology Associates, who found cancer in his bladder wall after removing a polyp in an earlier surgery.
“Dr. Goldstein explained what they?d have to do. He thought I?d be a good candidate for the robotic surgery,” Enfield said.
Robotic surgery is not as invasive or as painful as traditional surgery, patients recover quicker and there?s less chance of errors, he said. “Everything about it was a plus.”
His recovery keeps improving. “I?ve been walking every day since. I feel great,” Enfield said. “I came out of that hospital six days later with no cancer. I haven?t felt this great in years.”
Enfield is one of about 200 to 300 people in the U.S. and one of about 500 in the world to have had robotic surgery. He?s looking forward to returning to work in July as a truck driver for Wal-Mart.
