When Alan Lesk visited his internist for an annual checkup, he mentioned that he occasionally experienced some nasal discomfort.
His doctor ordered the athletic, Delray Beach great-grandfather to get an MRI. It saved his life.
Celebrating Father’s Day, Lesk will be surrounded by generations of his family, knowing he averted lung cancer by catching a tumor in its early stages. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Florida and the U.S.
Lesk’s MRI, followed by a CT scan, revealed a small nodule the size of a Cheerio in his upper left lung. Doctors at Delray Medical Center used the newest robotic machines to biopsy, mark, and remove the lung lobe where the nodule resided. Lesk did not need follow-up treatment and had minimal recovery. Most of the time, lung cancer is caught at much later, more advanced stages.
At Delray Medical Center, cutting-edge robotic devices are used for biopsies and surgeries, making them less invasive and recovery much easier. Doctors using the robots say they can pick up spots that are smaller than they could without them
After the nodule showed up on Lesk’s scan, Dr. Stephen Milan used a robotic machine to help gauge the size of the tumor, get a piece of it to biopsy, and check for any spread into the lymph nodes. In the past, doctors would have done a biopsy with a needle and risked a collapsed lung. “An ION robotic bronchoscopy allows me to go after nodules that are less than a centimeter in size,” said Milan, a pulmonologist and advanced bronchoscopist specialist at Delray Medical Center. “That is where survivorship is best, because you are catching cancer at the earliest possible stage.”
Milan used a robotic arm to navigate a catheter into Lesk’s lung to biopsy the nodule. Beforehand, he loaded Lesk’s CAT scan into the machine’s software and created a map of a path to the spot in his lung where the nodule was located. Milan said he updated the map in real time to allow for a precise biopsy. He also uses the robot to mark the nodule location for the surgeon.
Instead of the process taking days, a pathologist in the room with Milan looked at the biopsy of Lesk’s nodule under a microscope moments after it was removed and identified it as cancerous. Milan then biopsied Lesk’s lymph nodes and learned they were clear of any trace of cancer. “That is the advantage. When the patient goes home, they’re going home knowing what the diagnosis is and what stage it is,” Milan said.
Days later, Lesk underwent surgery. The surgeon also used a robotic device.
“We did a robotic lobectomy to treat the cancer,” said Dr. John Roberts, a thoracic surgeon and vice chair of the robotics committee. He said using a robot allowed him to make small incisions and use small electronic arms to remove the entire lung lobe where the nodule was located, a necessity because of the size of the cancer tumor. “The main benefit is that with the smaller incisions, you’re not actually having to cut any muscle. The pain is less, and the recovery time is shorter.”
“I believe from the time the spot was seen until the time we actually had it out was on the order of 10 days. That’s incredible,” Roberts said.
Lesk said he is grateful for the outcome.
“It scared the heck out of me,” he said. “I play golf, tennis, pickleball and work out in the gym regularly and I know I am fortunate to have found it early. There is no limitations on my ability to be active.”
The 83-year-old now preaches this mantra: No one should skip their doctor visits. It’s a message being blasted across the country during Men’s Health Week.
He hopes all fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers will take their health seriously and schedule procedures rather than letting time lapse after a scan or diagnosis.
“I really think being proactive and on top of things and making sure you pursue things, even if you don’t think they are very important, can save your life,” Lesk said.
Next generation of high-tech medical devices
Imagine an iPhone attachment that will zap the itch out of your mosquito bite, or a rubber glove that kills germs when you touch them. Medical innovations were on full display in Miami Beach last week as more than a thousand exhibitors from around the globe showed off their products to physicians, radiologists, distributors and retailers.
“Technology has advanced, and in a lot of cases, the future is already here,” said Gil Alejo, exhibition director for the World Health Expo (WHX Miami) from Wednesday to Friday.
This year, many of the products have an AI component, Alejo said. “AI is playing such a big role in patient diagnostics and better patient outcomes. Where before it was just the medical products and devices, now everything is intertwined.”
This year’s expo drew 1,500 exhibitors from over 60 different countries. Along with panel discussions, WHX Miami hosted startup competitions, where companies pitched to a panel of investors and medical leaders. “The technology some of the startups are working on is mind-boggling,” Alejo said.
Red-light therapy devices were a popular product for sale this year, with technology used for medical purposes, such as reducing inflammation and providing pain relief, or for cosmetic applications, including fading age spots and fine lines. The handheld devices for home use had a price tag of about $2,500 to $10,000. Also popular was handheld, portable ultrasound equipment developed by Neo Medical, which allows healthcare workers to diagnose abdominal pain, thyroid issues, and early pregnancy on the spot, even in a primary care office. A new type of portable hyperbaric chamber by Rivitalair was on display, pressurized with air rather than oxygen. A salesperson for Rivitalair said the machine is being sold to medical offices and wellness spas.
China is at the forefront of medical innovation, and at the World Health Expo this week, dozens of device manufacturers from the country showcased their products: Aroma Season offered a remote-controlled heated eye mask that helps with dry eyes. AR Light Elf exhibited a small, red-light device that could be inserted into the nose to relieve allergy symptoms.
Some of the products on display from other countries are not yet approved by the Food & Drug Administration in the U.S. but are for sale in international markets and often on Amazon.
New depression treatment
Neuro Wellness TMS Centers of America in Coral Springs has unveiled a new treatment for depression. The center is offering treatment with a system called SAINT TMS (Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy). It uses magnetic stimulation that precisely targets specific brain areas linked to depression. SAINT is designed for treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder. According to the company, in clinical studies, about 80-90% of patients achieved remission of depression symptoms following the five-day treatment protocol.
“In clinical trials, they took people who were inpatient, suicidal, or had failed to respond after taking multiple medications,” said Matt Lahn, COO of Neuro Wellness. “They were the worst-of-the-worst situations and they achieved those results.”
Lahn said his is the only private outpatient center on the East Coast offering the SAINT treatment developed by the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab. Some hospitals are offering it to their psychiatric patients. He said the remission rate for SAINT is better than for traditional TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), which has been provided since 2008. “This takes it to the next level,” he said.
Patients receive a functional brain MRI prior to treatment, which creates more than 17,000 images. It is used to create an individualized treatment plan. During treatment, patients are connected to a magnetic impulse that stimulates neurons to control their mood. Each treatment is 10 minutes and a patient receives 50 treatments total over five days.
SAINT is FDA-approved for individuals over 21 and is designed for those seeking rapid results. For now though, the treatment is not covered by insurance and costs $25,000.
“Every session is uniquely targeted to that individual,” Lahn said. “The unmatched precision is what sets this apart,” Lahn said.
Autism law in Florida is a start, advocates say
A new autism law will become effective on July 1 in Florida. The law extends early intervention therapies and services through the Early Steps program to Florida families until an autistic child turns 4 and begins receiving services at school. That is a year longer than the current law allows. The new law also establishes two education-related grant programs: one for specialized summer programs for children with autism and the other to support charter schools that exclusively serve them.
“The new law is a step in the right direction, but more still needs to be done to truly meet the needs of autistic individuals in Florida,” said Nicole Clark, a local Florida autism awareness advocate and CEO and co-founder of the Adult and Pediatric Institute, which works with autistic families. “It’s a band-aid. This isn’t fixing the problem.”
Clark said children need a formal medical diagnosis of autism to be covered by insurance, including Medicaid. Because Florida increased the requirements for professionals providing a diagnosis, fewer providers opt to do so, she said. As a result, Florida families have to get on a long waiting list to get a diagnosis.
“All of these bills are looking at kids who already have a diagnosis,” she said. “There’s no legislation that’s talking about these exorbitant wait lists, and also a need for educating more providers on doing appropriate screenings. One of the things that I’d like to see in a bill moving forward is financial incentives for providers who are willing to do these evaluations for kids with Medicaid.”
With a formal diagnosis, families would gain access to various services, therapies and products such as special beds and strollers, she said: “You need a formal diagnosis before you can get any of that. This new law is definitely a step in the right direction. But this is not the time to take our eye off the ball or take our foot off the gas.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis also signed the Spectrum Alert law, which will act like an Amber Alert for children with autism.
South Florida hospital news
♦ Holy Cross Health in Fort Lauderdale recently welcomed a new president and CEO, Pierre Monice. Prior to joining Holy Cross, Monice was president of Loyola Medical Center’s MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Ill., which, like Holy Cross, is a Trinity hospital. At Holy Cross Health, Monice will focus on outpatient growth strategy, enhancing patient satisfaction and fostering a strong culture of colleague engagement.
“Coming home to serve the very community that shaped me is the honor of a lifetime,” said Monice, who was born and raised in South Florida and is from a Haitian immigrant family. “Just as I am committed to excellence, health equity and community engagement, so is the entire team at Holy Cross Health. I look forward to embarking on this new chapter for Holy Cross with our generous donors, supporters, community leaders, physicians, nurses and staff and continuing to bring the highest quality of compassionate care to our patients.”
♦ Memorial Hospital Pembroke has increased the number of patients it can treat at its wound care facilities with the addition of a new monoplace hyperbaric chamber. The equipment will provide access for an estimated five more patients each day, all of whom spend at least two hours each visit receiving pure oxygen to heal wounds that haven’t responded to other treatments.
♦ St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach is investing more than $30 million in a series of major expansions and renovations across key departments. The improvements include a $7 million expansion and renovation project of the pediatric emergency department, an $11 million expansion of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Oncology and Intermediate Care Unit; a $9 million expansion of the Adult ICU; and a $6 million Adult Emergency Department upgrade. St. Mary’s Medical Center is part of the Palm Beach Health Network.
South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.
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