CentraState - Healthy Directions

www.centrastate.com Winter 2015 A malignant tumor had caused his colon to suddenly rupture, leading to a life-threatening infection. He says that during his more than two months in the hospital, he could do little else but lie on his back and stare at the ceiling. Just 35 years old at the time, Peter remembers leaving the hospital with a renewed commitment to healthy living. Through diet and exercise, he lost some 70 pounds from his 300-pound frame in less than a year and a half. "I didn't appreciate the things in my life before I went into the hospital," says Peter, who lived in Aberdeen, NJ, at the time. "I tried to appreciate my family and the things I had going right in my life." However, life gets in the way of the best intentions. Over the years, his weight increased, and he developed Type 2 diabetes. Now living in Jackson with his wife, Emma, a new health scare in October 2013 led him to CentraState Medical Center, where he eventually underwent an abdominal procedure that he credits with once again putting him on the road to good health. A DIFFICULT RECOVERY Peter's cancer was considered cured after the surgery to remove the ruptured section of his colon at another hospital in 1995, and he underwent additional surgeries in the next few years, such as surgery to restore normal bowel function and reverse a colostomy, several procedures related to infections in the area where the colostomy site had been closed, and additional abdominal surgeries. In October 2013, Peter went to the CentraState Emergency Department after noticing a discharge from the area of his earlier abdominal surgeries. Worried it might be related to his history of colon cancer, he was relieved to learn it was a benign cyst. The cyst was removed by Amit Kharod, MD, a board-certified general and laparoscopic surgeon at CentraState. Dr. Kharod also suggested that Peter might be a good candidate for a procedure known as abdominal wall reconstruction to help restore the normal anatomy of the front part of the abdomen. GETTING BACK TO GOOD HEALTH Before Peter could undergo surgery, he had to rededicate himself to healthy living. In January 2014, he and his wife joined a weight-loss support program, became avid walkers, and Peter made a sport out of cutting the grass and mulching his five-acre property. "Peter told me, 'I want to make a dedicated effort to do this,'" Dr. Kharod recalls. "He's a fairly young guy, and he knew he still had the opportunity to regain his all-around health." By late summer, Peter had shed roughly 65 pounds, and his waist size had dropped from 52 to 38. "He did all of the right things—appropriate weight loss and nutrition," Dr. Kharod adds. "I tell patients that their recovery from surgery is going to be a function of how healthy they are before surgery." His surgery was scheduled for the end of August 2014, with the team of Dr. Kharod and Tushar Patel, MD, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon on staff at CentraState. ABDOMINAL WALL RECONSTRUCTION Abdominal wall reconstruction involves a series of steps intended to strengthen the abdominal core and enhance the appearance of the abdomen. The procedure can help improve posture, reduce the risk of future hernias and provide other positive effects, such as less back pain. During Peter's six-hour surgery, a hernia was repaired, followed by a procedure developed by Dr. Patel's senior partner Andrew Elkwood, MD, known as BARs (Bony Anchored Reinforcement), where a mesh is fixed to the pelvic and hip bones, providing support for the abdominal contents. Excess skin—the result of his weight loss—was removed, and he had a cosmetic procedure to improve the look of his chest. "Abdominal wall reconstruction is a complex procedure, and we take a multidisciplinary approach, with general and reconstructive surgery at the same time," Dr. Patel says. "Peter did great, and he was out of the hospital within a few days." Drs. Patel and Kharod explain that abdominal reconstruction is often an option for patients with a history of abdominal surgeries and hernias, like Peter, or a history of other trauma that disrupts muscle and tendon attachments in the abdominal wall. QUALITY OF LIFE Peter, now 55, says that after surgery he quickly returned to his job as a manufacturing manager and has maintained his commitment to good health. He and his wife spend hours each weekend taking walks in the park. "When I walk now, people at work say, 'You're going too fast' where I used to just be dragging," he says. "It's just an overall improvement in my quality of life. I'm just so lucky—you don't realize this weight you've been carrying around until it's gone." In fact, his diet and lifestyle changes have dramatically improved his diabetes, cutting his need for medicine by more than half, says Joshua Raymond, MD, a board-certified family medicine specialist at CentraState and Peter's primary physician. "He's on his way to diet-controlled diabetes," Dr. Raymond says. "I think once he started seeing the results of his healthy lifestyle, the positive feedback pushed him even further to carry on with a healthy life." As for his history of colon cancer, he will continue to be monitored throughout his life, but he is optimistic that it's behind him. To find a CentraState physician, visit www.centrastate.com/ physicians or call 866-CENTRA7 (866-236-8727). HD Joshua Raymond, MD, board-certified family medicine specialist Twenty-seven tiles. Peter Tardiff still remembers the exact number of ceiling tiles in his room during his hospital stay in the late spring and early summer of 1995. 5

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