Rick P. underwent a colonoscopy in late 2024. He’d been diligent in scheduling the colorectal health screening test since watching his mother experience colon cancer years ago.
The colonoscopy revealed hard-to-reach polyp growths in Rick’s colon. Rick’s polyps were removed. A follow up colonoscopy seven months later revealed that the polyps returned.
Rick, 61, said deciding how best to address the issue was a no-brainer – surgery with Dr. Brian Hong, a general surgeon with ThedaCare and Surgical Associates of Neenah.
“These polyps are usually an indicator of a pre-cancerous condition, so Dr. Hong said that it was advisable to remove them,” Rick said. “He wasn’t saying I was going to have cancer the next day, but down the road in a few years it could be more of a problem.”
Most polyps are harmless growths that appear in the lining of the colon or rectum. Rick’s polyps were of the tubulovillous adenoma variety. They have a higher risk of developing into colorectal cancer, a disease the American Cancer Society expects to claim the lives of nearly 53,000 Americans in 2025. In addition, the location where Rick developed this polyp is delicate, which made removal impossible during his colonoscopy.
Rick, a semi-retired, Waupaca area resident, felt more comfortable not using his last name for this story. However, he wanted to share his experience during March’s National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to help others understand the importance of preventive screenings for the disease.
Utilizing Robotic Surgery in Waupaca
Rick underwent a Robotic Ascending Colectomy, a minimally invasive procedure in which part of the colon is removed as a preventive measure.
“I remember some of my surgical team saying it was the first robotic surgery of that kind done at ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca,” Rick said. “It was less invasive than, I’m sure what my mom went through, you know?”
That’s because Dr. Hong utilized ThedaCare’s da Vinci surgical system to perform the Robotic Ascending Colectomy procedure.
The health system offers robotic surgery at its hospitals in Appleton, Berlin, Neenah, Shawano, and Waupaca. The technology highlights ThedaCare’s commitment to providing high-level, comprehensive care to all of the communities it serves, including rural areas such as Waupaca.
“Providing robotic surgery access to Waupaca and our other rural communities can help reduce people’s need to travel long distances to receive pre- and post-operative care more often featured in metropolitan areas,” Dr. Hong said. “Offering surgery options closer to home can allow patients to be near family and friends which can help lead to improved recovery.”
With robotic surgery, the surgeon is 100% in control of the system. It translates the surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body.
The surgeon uses the system’s robotic arms and instruments to separate the colon from surrounding tissues, then removes the affected portion of the colon. The healthy part of the colon is reconnected to the small intestine.
“The da Vinci system allows for minimally invasive surgery and helps us do intricate work in hard-to-reach places,” Dr. Hong said. “Patients like Rick benefit from the support of our multidisciplinary surgical team that works with them from the moment they come in for surgery, all the way through recovery. This approach may help create a better patient experience and outcomes and may help set our patients up for success.”
Patients also may benefit because smaller incisions often mean less pain, potentially shorter recovery times, and fewer days in the hospital, Dr. Hong explained.
Rick can attest to that.
“Kudos to Dr. Hong and his team,” he said. “He’s easy to talk to and has a great bedside manner. He worked with me to plan the steps I could take to minimize my time in the hospital. I was up and walking that first evening after surgery. My pain was also well managed.”
He was discharged from the hospital after about 48 hours, he said.
Rick is fully recovered, thankful he unfailingly sticks to his recommended health screenings, and relieved he nipped a potential colorectal health issue in the bud.
He didn’t have any symptoms of colorectal cancer: a change in bowel habits; blood with bowel movements; diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty all the way; abdominal pain, aches, or cramps that don’t go away; or unexplained weight loss.
But he was diligent with his health screenings, particularly his colonoscopy and was able to avoid a serious health complication. He encouraged others to schedule their colonoscopy.
“For one, you kind of establish a baseline so you can see if you’re starting to develop issues,” he said. “It’s preventive care and saves, I believe, a lot of pain and heartache down the road.”
Dr. Hong encouraged anyone with questions or concerns to speak with a health care provider, or visit ThedaCare online to schedule a colonoscopy.
