Seven-time All-Star, NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Alonzo Mourning had prostate removed, urges checks for men
excerpts pulled from Sun Sentinel article by Cindy Goodman
The International Prostate Cancer Foundation founder Dr. Vipul Patel weighs in on the debate for proper treatment and screening of prostate cancer.
Dr. Vipul Patel and Dr. Travis Rogers on a dual console performing a robotic-assisted prostate removal. (Vipul Patel/Courtesy)
Former Miami Heat basketball star Alonzo Mourning became the latest celebrity to announce he had prostate cancer, reinforcing the need for men to get screened and reigniting the debate over how and when to treat the disease.
Mourning said he had felt physically fit when he learned of his cancer in February, after his Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test levels came back abnormally high. A biopsy confirmed aggressive prostate cancer, and Mourning started his journey to rid himself of the disease. The Basketball Hall of Famer, and current Heat executive, revealed earlier this week that he had surgery to remove his prostate and is now “cancer-free.” Mourning said his cancer was encapsulated in the prostate and aggressive. He went to Advent Health Orlando’s Global Robotics Institute for a prostatectomy. Years ago, a prostatectomy required a traditional open surgery.
Now Dr. Vipul Patel, founder and medical director of the AdventHealth Global Robotics Institute, specializes in robotic-assisted prostatectomies. He uses state-of-the-art technology to guide him through the laparoscopic surgery to remove the prostate in a way that allows men to heal faster with fewer side effects. He uses the fifth iteration of the da Vinci robotic device.
“Our patients are going home faster and healing much better,” Patel said. “All men should have access to robotic surgery. It’s the gold standard.”
Most insurances cover the procedure, he said. His center performs eight surgeries a day on men who arrive from all over the world.
“In the future, I think we will use AI guidance to minimize complications and help us perform surgery in an even better way,” Patel said.
Hear Mourning, below, speak on his experience at 13:02 in the press conference below. And click here to read the ESPN article on his treatment and advocacy.