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September 2007 eNews

Sanford Cancer Center to Open

The Sanford Cancer Center is in the final stages of completion and is slated to open its doors in September. The Sanford Cancer Center is the region’s premier facility for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It is referred to as a destination cancer center because it is the one place people can go to get all the services they might need to diagnose or treat cancer. From screening to diagnosis to treatment, Sanford’s multidisciplinary team of physicians collaborate their minds and resources to give patients a full range of therapeutic options and standardized treatment plans. Multidisciplinary care means a built-in second opinion as a team of physicians work together to devise an individualized medical and/or surgical plan of care that is right for each individual.

The first phase of the Cancer Center, opened in September 2003, houses radiation services. The second phase is dedicated to Sanford Clinic Breast Health Institute. The Breast Health Institute is gaining 15,000 square feet of space to more comfortably serve the screening and diagnostic needs of women. The Breast Health Institute is equipped with the highest quality of imaging with services including mammography, breast ultrasound, stereotactic and ultrasound biopsies, breast MRI, Scintimammography and bone densitometry. The new imaging facility will provide state-of-the-art screening and diagnosis. Beyond advanced technology, Sanford Cancer Center has tailored services to provide the highest level of comfort and support.

Sanford Cancer Center believes in treating the whole person – body, mind and spirit – not just the disease. Sanford’s scope of services extends beyond their medical expertise. From the moment one is diagnosed with cancer, the providers at Sanford Cancer Center take each person by the hand and guide them every step of the way. The American Cancer Society Patient Navigator, located in the Cancer Center, links patients with supplemental services to help them in their journey of healing. This person connects the patient and caregivers to resources available in their local communities that fit his or her individual needs which may include support groups, relaxation techniques, massage therapy, nutritional guidance or taking the patient to the Patient Resource Center or Bloom Boutique.

The Patient Resource Center will contain cancer reference material, including the internet, books, and pamphlets, for patients and their families to decipher the complex nature of their diagnosis. The Patient Resource Center will be a place where patients and their families can relax and rejuvenate in a cozy setting while sitting next to the fireplace.

The Bloom Boutique will also have a home in the Cancer Center. Bloom Boutique carries a wide variety of specialized products and services that help manage the changes in appearance resulting from cancer treatments. Patients coping with cancer can find fashion, wigs, cosmetics and prostheses to help them cope with hair loss from chemotherapy, soothe skin irritation caused by radiation or compensate for body changes after mastectomy or other surgeries. Wigs are provided to cancer patients at no charge through a grant from the Sanford Health Foundation.

Planning for the future of cancer treatment at Sanford doesn’t stop once the doors of Phase II of the Cancer Center open in September. Future building phases include moving the medical oncologists, infusion, and research to the Cancer Center and creating a healing garden for patients and visitors to relax.

The day one is diagnosed with cancer is the day one embarks on one of life’s most profound journeys. The team of cancer professionals at Sanford Cancer Center believes the fight against cancer is a journey of healing that continues beyond medical treatment. Sanford doctors and support staff work together as a team to provide education and advanced holistic care in an atmosphere of hope and compassion.

All in the Family: Three Stys’ Focus on Cardiology at Sanford

Adam Stys, MD

Tom Stys, MD

Maria Stys, MD

The Stys family is all about the heart – professionally and personally. Brothers Adam Stys, MD and Tom Stys, MD, as well as Adam’s wife, Maria Stys, MD have chosen to share their lives and careers at Sanford Clinic Heart Partners. This close family found a home and place to practice medicine together.

It is clear each brother thinks very highly of the other one. These are two gentlemen that have gone the same path since their grade school days. Adam is the oldest, but at one point in their career Tom was Adam’s teacher. Their story is unique and a benefit for the Sanford Health community because of their love for their practice with cardiology. Add to that mix, Dr. Maria Stys, Adam’s wife. She is the newest addition to Sanford Clinic Heart Partners.

The Stys’ road to Sanford began in Poland. The men moved to Africa at a young age and received their education there. They have a love for both countries, yet truly enjoy their polish heritage. To them, Sioux Falls is very similar to Poland. They all speak of how it reminds them of Poland by the size of the town, the climate, and the friendliness of the community. Adam and Maria have four children; Tom and his wife have three children. They consider Sioux Falls home, but do travel back to Poland quite a bit.

After finishing medical school in Warsaw, Adam moved to New York for his residency, eventually moving to Sanford Canby as an internal medicine and cardiology consultant. Here, he worked with his wife, Dr. Maria Stys, the medical director for Deuel County Memorial Hospital & Clinics. Adam soon went back to New York to study Interventional Cardiology.

During the time that Adam was in New York for his Interventional Cardiology studies, Tom had the opportunity to teach his older brother. When Tom decided to leave New York, he joined Sanford Clinic Heart Partners to practice Interventional Cardiology. Recently, Adam followed Tom to Sanford Clinic Heart Partners and now Maria has joined the clinic to practice General Cardiology.

Both Adam and Tom Stys have a mutual respect and admiration for each other. They are thrilled to be in a position they love and to work with each other. “We have always wanted to work together.” says Tom. They are equally thrilled to have Dr. Maria Stys join them in their practice. Patients will have the expertise of three specialists within the family. These physicians love what they do, work together on cases, relying on each other’s opinions regarding professional procedures. The addition of Dr. Maria Stys, the only female cardiologist in the state of SD, to this group is one more way that Sanford Clinic Heart Partners shows their dedication to patient care.

Cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer of Americans. It claims nearly 900,000 lives a year.

Interventional cardiology is a branch of the medical specialty of cardiology that deals specifically with the catheter based treatment of structural heart diseases. An Interventional Cardiologist is a Cardiologist with special training in doing procedures to alleviate blockages in the coronary arteries. As Interventional Cardiology has improved we are able to delay or even eliminate the need for bypass surgery in many patients. Of course bypass surgery is still the treatment of choice in very extensive coronary artery disease.

The cardiologists at Sanford Clinic Heart Partners use the most advanced techniques and equipment to provide the best cardiovascular care in the region. With the support of a full service hospital, these cardiologists can serve the patients in whatever type of care that they need. This clinic provides Sanford USD Medical Center with a partnership with highly skilled and experienced cardiologists. For more information, please call 605-328-2929.

Physician Spotlight

Richard W. Lee, MD - Vascular Surgery
Sanford Clinic Vascular Associates

Family: Wife - Nicoline
Children - Richard-7, William-5, James-4
Education: University of Utah, Bachelor’s of Arts - German
Medical School – Creighton University, Omaha, NE
Vascular Surgery Fellowship – University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Favorite Late Night Snack: Frosted Flakes with 2% milk
Least Favorite Food: dessert
Favorite Movie: Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Favorite Colors: red, white and blue
Hobbies: Road trips, digital photography, time outdoors
Sanford Birthday: August 14, 2007

What do you enjoy most about vascular surgery?
Vascular surgery is very technical and challenging. It also has the ability to make a huge impact on patients’ lives. The best satisfaction is if you can alleviate suffering and improve the quality of life for a patient.

Sanford Clinic Vascular Associates is known for its ability to access clinical trials and cutting edge technology. Where do you see the future of vascular surgery going?
The technology is already here, it’s just our ability to refine it. Vascular therapies, using catheters, would normally require huge incisions and lengthy stays. Now we can perform a complex surgery through a needle stick and send the patient home the next day. Normally they would be hospitalized for 10 days. The challenge in the future will be to refine that technology and make it smaller, easier to deliver and more precise.

Tell us about your recent road trip with your family of five.
In July, we left Rochester, NY and we went to South Dakota, into Wyoming, to the Grand Tetons, and into Utah. We went to Las Vegas, San Diego, spent time at LEGOLAND®, Disneyland® and back to Utah and the Tetons. We drove 7,000 miles, and we went through five DVD players!

When you do not find yourself picking out new DVD players, what do you like to do in your free time?
It’s been a long time since I got an hour, but I like to read. I like to be outdoors with my dog, a German shepherd. In my former life, before medical school, I skied and backpacked a lot. I loved to travel and road trips are just fine with me. I like electronics and digital photography. I’m very amateur, basic point and shoot, but I’d like to get better.

Let’s combine two of your hobbies, travel and technology. If you take a transporter from Star Trek and tell Scotty to “beam you” anywhere, where would you go?
It depends on the time of year. In the summer, I would go to the High Uinta Mountain range in Utah. It’s a 9,000-13,000 feet range, conifer fir forest. I would backpack, fish on the lakes, or I would go to the Tetons. In the wintertime I’d go to San Diego.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Lee or one of his partners, contact Sanford Clinic Vascular Associates at (605) 328-3350.

Sanford USD Medical Center Offers New Procedure for Degenerative Disc Disease
Sanford Clinic Physician One of the First Surgeons Trained to Use New Disc

Sanford USD Medical Center announced today a new procedure for patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine. On Friday, August 3, 2007, Bryan Wellman, MD, Sanford Clinic Neurosurgery and Spine, became one of the first surgeons in the country to attend medical training for a newly FDA approved cervical spine disc – The PRESTIGE®. The PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc is a stainless steel surgical implant indicated to treat patients suffering from DDD of the cervical (neck) spine.

Traditionally, a procedure called spinal fusion has been the "gold standard" for surgically treating DDD in the cervical spine. Using bone grafts and metal plates and screws, this procedure fuses, or creates a bond between, two or more vertebrae, ideally stabilizing the segment and providing relief. Many patients have achieved excellent results with this procedure; however, a potential disadvantage associated with spinal fusion is the loss of motion and flexibility.

"During single discectomies of the past, patients lost motion because the cervical bones were fused together, however, with the patented ball-and-trough design the disc can better replicate the patient’s normal range of motion," says Dr. Wellman. "The incision is small and patients no longer need to wear a cervical collar after surgery. Most importantly, patients will feel better faster and get back to their lives more quickly."

It is estimated that more than 200,000 patients receive surgical treatment for cervical DDD. Patients suffer from arm pain numbness, tingling, and/or weakness from a pinched nerve in the neck related to a herniated disc. Many patients will also have some element of neck pain along with it. Bone spurs causing irritation of the nerve root, with arm pain and/or neck pain may also become problematic.

Patients interested in the PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc can contact Sanford Clinic Neurosurgery and Spine at 605-328-8660.

About Medtronic/ PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc
On July 16, 2007, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to market the PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc, the first artificial disc commercially available in the U.S. for use in the neck. The FDA approved the PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc after reviewing data from the largest completed clinical trial to date involving the cervical spine. Patients in the study showed superior overall success and superior neurological success which incorporated sensory, motor, and reflex functions. The PRESTIGE Disc is the first artificial disc approved by the FDA for use in the U.S.

September 2007 eNews

Sanford Cancer Center to Open

All in the Family: Three Stys’ Focus on Cardiology at Sanford

Physician Spotlight

Sanford USD Medical Center Offers New Procedure for Degenerative Disc Disease Sanford Clinic Physician One of the First Surgeons Trained to Use New Disc

Sanford USD Medical Center Offers New Procedure for Degenerative Disc Disease
Sanford Clinic Physician One of the First Surgeons Trained to Use New Disc