News/PR
Bay Medical Physician Offers New Life Prolonging Procedure For Patients With Liver Tumors & Gastrointestinal Cancers
March 11, 2003
Bay Medical is pleased to announce the availability of a new surgical procedure that is prolonging the lives of patients suffering from liver tumors and other gastrointestinal cancers. Tumors in the liver are difficult to treat surgically and can frequently lead to death, however with Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) there is a 60 percent three-year survival rate, as opposed to a 10 percent rate using chemotherapy alone. The RFA procedure uses a special needle with a starburst shaped tip that uses electrical energy to heat the points to a high temperature and effectively kill the cells of the tumor without damaging the surrounding tissue. Because it is performed laparoscopically, the procedure involves little pain and requires only an overnight hospital stay.
Dr. Rodney Morris, a general surgeon on staff at Bay Medical, is the physician who performs RFA in the Panama City area and this procedure is only available at Bay Medical Center. B-roll footage with graphic animations and before and after liver scans will be provided. Digital stills can be e-mailed for printed media.
For more information on Bay Medical Center’s involvement with this significant advancement, please contact Christa Hild at 747-6542.