<em>Board-certified urologist will be performing state-of-the-art robotic surgery at Beaufort Memorial Hospital</em>

In a continuing effort to expand its minimally invasive surgery program, Beaufort Memorial Hospital has started offering robot-assisted prostatectomies, providing patients a faster, easier recovery with less pain.

[caption id="attachment_12847" align="alignleft" width="200"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Health-StaleyCasual.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-12847" alt="Dr. Michael C. Staley" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Health-StaleyCasual-200x300.jpg" width="200" height="300" /></a> Dr. Michael C. Staley[/caption]

Dr. Michael Staley, a board-certified urologist, is currently the only surgeon in Beaufort County performing the state-of-the-art laparoscopic procedure, one of several options for treating early stage prostate cancer. Staley recently joined Coastal Carolina Urology Group and the Beaufort Memorial medical staff, after practicing 13 years with Asheville Urological Associates in North Carolina.

Dr. Staley will be seeing patients at Coastal Carolina Urology Group’s Beaufort office, 1055 Ribaut Rd., and south of the Broad at Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Medical Services in Westbury Park. For more information or to make an appointment at either location, call (843) 524-7607.

“We are delighted to have a physician with Dr. Staley’s experience join the medical staff at Beaufort Memorial,” said hospital President &amp; CEO Rick Toomey. “His skills and exceptional background will complement both his partners and the other physicians practicing at BMH as we continue to meet the healthcare needs of our community.”

Dr. Staley grew up in Columbia and earned a BS in Chemistry at the University of South Carolina and an MBA at Georgia State University before pursuing his MD at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. After graduating in 1994, he interned at Medical Center Hospital in Burlington, Vt., and returned to MUSC for his urology residency, where he had the distinction of serving as chief resident in his final year.

Dr. Staley, his wife Gina, and two children have been vacationing on Fripp Island for years. “We’ve always had the desire to move back to the Lowcountry,” Staley said. “Joining Beaufort Memorial has afforded us that opportunity.”

Along with the treatment of prostate cancer, Staley has more than a decade of experience treating other urological cancers, BPH, kidney stones and general urologic issues in both men and women.

Radical prostatectomy—the surgical removal of the prostate and surrounding tissue—is considered the gold standard of treatment for patients whose cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.

“It not only eradicates the disease, it allows the physician to more precisely determine the stage of the cancer based on a pathological specimen,” said Staley.

For patients who are candidates for surgery, a robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy is the most advanced treatment option. Operating through several tiny holes in the abdomen, surgeons can remove the cancerous prostate while working to preserve the vital nerves and arteries that control bladder and sexual function.

“There is significantly less blood loss and post-operative pain with robotic surgery,” said Staley, who has been performing robotic prostatectomies for six years. “Patients are discharged from the hospital one day after surgery and need a catheter for just one week.”

In comparison, open surgery normally involves a two- to four-day hospital stay and two to three weeks with a catheter. There are other options available to treat prostate cancer. Depending on the type of cancer and the patient’s overall health and preferences, other treatment, such as radiation, may be preferable. Beaufort Memorial also offers radiation therapy at its Keyserling Cancer Center.

Beaufort Memorial was the first healthcare provider in the area to offer robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomies. It expanded the scope of minimally invasive surgeries performed with a robot last year after upgrading to the more advanced da Vinci Si Surgical System. To learn more about Beaufort Memorial’s robotic surgery program, visit www.bmhsc.org.

<strong>Prostate Health Seminar</strong><em>
In recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Beaufort Memorial Hospital will present “The Man Plan: Taking Control of Your Health,” a discussion on men’s health issues, at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at Sun City’s Magnolia Hall. Following a reception at 4:30 p.m., BMH board-certified urologist Dr. Michael Staley will discuss the latest advancements in men’s health care and offer advice on PSA screenings, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and low testosterone. Staley also will be discussing the latest technology in the treatment of prostate cancer, including robotic-assisted prostate cancer surgery. The men’s health program – part of Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s “Life Lived Better” seminar series – is free and open to the public. Spouses and partners are encouraged to attend, but registration is required. Call (888) 522-5585. </em>