Amy and Jan tell us about their experiences with robotic surgery at Ohio State. Watch their video testimonials or read their stories to learn more.
- Amy had a robotic hysterectomy to treat endometrial cancer. She just celebrated a full year cancer-free. See her story.
- After suffering a persistent cough and a constant feeling of phlegm in her throat, Jan learned she had tonsil cancer. Today, Jan is cancer-free, thanks to the OSUCCC-James' Dr. Enver Ozer. See her story.
Amy's Story
Amy, 44, had robotic gynecologic cancer surgery after her gynecologist discovered that she had endometrial cancer. After explaining that she would most likely need a total hysterectomy, her gynecologist referred Amy to Dr. Jeffrey Fowler at the OSUCCC - James.
Amy previously lived in New York City for several years, so she knew she had options. She was familiar with the OSUCCC - James' reputation and her positive impression was confirmed when she learned it was ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report. "When you look at the rankings, you look at the options in this area, and the top of the heap is the OSUCCC - James. If you have cancer, the OSUCCC - James is where you go," says Amy.
Her consultation with Dr. Fowler also gave her confidence, given his extensive experience and his specialization in gynecologic robotic surgery for cancer. Amy’s robotic surgery went smoothly, and she was hospitalized for just over 24 hours. She felt very little pain, her recovery was fast and she experienced minimal scarring. But most importantly, Amy is cancer free.
"The care I received there was nothing short of the best I could’ve gotten anywhere."
Jan's Story
After suffering a persistent cough and a constant feeling of phlegm in her throat, Jan, 53, went to see an ENT specialist and learned she had tonsil cancer, a rare head and neck cancer. After having surgery at a local hospital to remove the tumor, Jan decided to get a second opinion at the OSUCCC - James to ensure she was doing everything to prevent a recurrence.
In her experience, the OSUCCC - James is “where everybody goes” who needs a cancer diagnosis, treatment or a second opinion. “I just felt that the OSUCCC - James and cancer went together," Jan says, "so I wanted to go there to make sure I was okay.”
Jan met with Dr. Enver Ozer, who suggested that she have da Vinci® robotic surgery to perform precautionary spacing to remove tissue around where her tumor had been to prevent the cancer from returning. Dr. Ozer used the da Vinci® robot to precisely remove surrounding tissue and 18 lymph nodes from her neck. One of those nodes contained cancer, but because Dr. Ozer had removed all of them, Jan didn’t need radiation or chemotherapy and returned home after three days. Today, Jan is cancer-free and happy that she decided to get a second opinion.
“He saved my life. I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Ozer, and the rest of the staff at the OSUCCC - James. It feels wonderful to be a survivor and I hope that I’m a survivor for the next 30 years."