Spring Campaign Impact: Surgery
Dr. Jeff McCracken, Surgeon, and Dr. Paul Whelan, Urologist and Executive Medical Director of Surgical Services for Island Health.
Last year, more than 50,000 surgical procedures were performed in 26 operating rooms at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals. Every day I have the pleasure of working with remarkable healthcare teams, among the best in the world. But we cannot be the best without leading-edge equipment.
Right now our urologic surgeons use a digital ultrasound that helps save lives every day by locating and removing tumors deep within the kidney. But as our aging population grows, so too do our cancer rates and the demand for this treatment.
We urgently need a new digital ultrasound to help identify and remove cancerous tumors. These minimally invasive ultrasounds are vital tools in our operating rooms.
The digital ultrasound will:
- Help surgeons precisely map and locate cancerous tumors through real-time images, increasing their ability for complete removal
- Dramatically improve recovery time for patients because surgeons can operate through tiny incisions
- Preserve more of patients’ organs and long-term function
- Lower the risk of cancer recurrence
Having a dedicated general surgery ultrasound unit is of utmost importance. A new ultrasound for the operating room will improve efficiency and will be designated for tumor identification for many different kinds of cancer.
I’d like to tell you the story of one of our patients, 52-year-old Marlowe Fraser, who survived thanks to the digital ultrasound and my colleague Dr. McCracken and his team.
Dr. McCracken is just one of the highly qualified surgical staff who uses his medical skills to improve care. Indeed, community support allows our doctors to have innovative tools like the digital ultrasound that ensure these procedures happen close to home, without leaving the Island.
Please give today and put this equipment in the hands of our surgeons, who help patients like Marlowe. As he says, “It’s great to be alive. If I can help just one person by giving back, I’m happy.”
Please give to the Foundation’s Spring Campaign today to help keep our hospitals at the highest standard of care. You can donate below.
With my gratitude,
Dr. Paul Whelan
We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Paul Whelan. As we continue our work and focus on our vision of exceptional care through inspired giving, we remember Paul as one of our champions. We will miss him dearly.
