Todd Mooney – da Vinci Single-Site Gallbladder Surgery Success Story
da Vinci Single-Site Gallbladder Surgery Success Story
Todd Mooney, 47 U.S. Navy veteran, financial loan officer
In my family growing up, the question wasn’t “Do you play an instrument?” The question was “What instrument are you going to play?” For me, the answer was guitar, and I played in the church where my dad was pastor.
Now, I just play for my sons, Ryan, 4, and John Thomas, 2. But this spring, intense stomach pains had me curled up in bed, making it impossible to be there for them and my wife. I tried walking around, I think to get away from the pain, but clearly you can’t — at least, not when it’s gallstones.
At first, my primary care provider couldn’t discern what was causing the pain, but a CT scan at Methodist Richardson Medical Center discovered that my gallbladder was to blame. That afternoon — on a Saturday, no less — I was scheduled for robotic gallbladder removal with Ramsey Stone, MD*. I’m a believer, and my wife, Sara, and I loved that he wanted to have prayer before the surgery.
The Single-Site™ procedure was done with the da Vinci® Surgical System, and I couldn’t have had a better experience. There was only one incision through my navel, minimal pain, and a fast recovery. I was back to work a week later, with no problems since.
If this is what it is to go through surgery, I’d tell every man out there who needs it: “Just go through it.” It’s great to know this is past me.
I want to be there for my sons, so I have to take care of myself. I wouldn’t have wanted this to be something that kept me from being around for them.
From the fall 2013 edition of Shine magazine.
Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System or Methodist Richardson Medical Center.
*Ramsey Stone, MD, is an independently practicing general surgeon on the medical staff at Methodist Richardson Medical Center.