Two Patients Reflect on Their Surgery Experience
General surgery treats conditions to improve your health. But it’s so much more than that. From simple cyst removals to hernia surgery, the right surgical procedure can change people’s lives.
At St. Elizabeth Healthcare, our team understands that surgery can be overwhelming. We work hard to make you feel comfortable and confident that you’re in the best place possible for your care.
Meet Tony and JoAnna, two patients who received General Surgery at St. Elizabeth. Both say their lives are better because of the care they received.
Q: Why did you choose St. Elizabeth for your surgery?
Tony and JoAnna both ended up in the care of Audrey Ertel, MD, a General Surgeon practicing at St. Elizabeth, for different reasons.
In 2019, Tony noticed a lump in his groin that he assumed was a hernia. Since he wasn’t in much pain, he let it go until a few years later, when it started getting bigger. His Primary Care provider referred him to Dr. Ertel. Right away, Dr. Ertel knew what it was — non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Cancer.
Tony is thankful he ended up at St. Elizabeth. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for everyone involved throughout the treatment,” he says. “I simply wouldn’t be alive.”
JoAnna has been a St. Elizabeth patient since she was born. “All three of my children were born at St. Elizabeth,” she shares. “We continue coming back because we always have amazing care. [Surgery] wasn’t any different.”
JoAnna’s dermatologist referred her to Dr. Ertel to remove a cyst. At first, JoAnna put off having surgery. But after the first removal was so easy, she decided to have another cyst removed from her scalp a few months later.
“From the people who answer the phones to the people in the room with you the entire surgery, I always felt cared for.”
JoAnna, PatientQ: What was your General Surgery experience like at St. Elizabeth Healthcare?
As a mom of three teenagers, JoAnna knew that to fit surgery into her busy schedule, she needed it to happen quickly and close to home. She was grateful for fast scheduling and the ability to choose the surgical site. “I don’t want to say surgery was easy, because surgery is never easy, but I feel like [St. Elizabeth] made it easy,” recalls JoAnna. “I was awake the entire time. It wasn’t anything near what I think of when I think of surgery.”
For Tony, it was helpful to have all his St. Elizabeth providers in constant communication with each other. As part of his Cancer Care, he received three surgeries with Dr. Ertel in the span of a few weeks. Though tiring, throughout the installation and removal of his chemo port and two surgical biopsies, he felt he could trust Dr. Ertel completely. “She’s my guardian angel,” he says.
Q: Do you have advice for others in similar situations?
Tony and JoAnna both know how easy it is to delay or ignore health issues. They encourage others to take the first step of scheduling a surgery consultation.
“If there’s something even questionable, get yourself checked out,” Tony advises.
JoAnna agrees, and felt reassured that a consultation didn’t guarantee she’d have surgery. It was a discussion, so she could make the best decision. And it was a lot easier after taking the first step. “I didn’t run into a single person who wasn’t there to help me along the way,” she says. “Everyone was so caring and so open.”
“If a lump appears on your groin, a cyst, whatever, get yourself checked out. I can promise you I never thought in a million years I had cancer.”
Tony, Patient
