Following an annual checkup, Chris Dulny learned his PSA was unusually high. Further testing revealed early-stage prostate cancer. At Michael Garron Hospital, Chris and his wife Mary Petryshyn met Dr. Rajiv Singal, Chief of Surgery.
“Because it was early-stage prostate cancer, I had treatment options. We had to get a bit predictive and figure out what would work best for me and my family,” Chris explains. “At the time, Rajiv was in the throes of moving offices and most of his stuff was boxed up. So instead of his usual props, he recreated parts of the male anatomy with papers, a stapler and a ruler. I liked him immediately.”
Together they charted next steps.
“Our conversations were always informative. The seriousness of the discussion was definitely felt, but it was taken with view to a much bigger picture. Like, what’s important to me and our plans for the future. Rajiv’s got a great sense of humor and I left his office smiling every time.”
Over the course of discussions, Chris and Mary learned that our hospital is among just four in Toronto with a surgical robot. In fact, Michael Garron Hospital was an early adopter of robotic-assisted surgery, which is associated with less pain, fewer complications and shorter recovery times than traditional approaches.
Chris liked the sound of that. Gold standard care
Reflecting on his experience in the operating room, “I remember it well because the Leafs were playing the Bruins. Rajiv is a Bruins fan and he had a Bruins scrub cap on. Everyone shared a laugh about it and the team was really vibing. I remember thinking it was too bad I was going to be asleep for the whole thing.”
During Chris’ procedure, Dr. Singal controlled the robot’s instruments from a nearby console. The robot translated his hand movements in real time to bend and rotate tiny components, acting like a human hand but with a greater range of motion. At the same time, the robot provided magnified, 3D high-definition views, enabling Dr. Singal to see blood vessels, muscles and nerves in greater detail.
The result? Increased precision, reduced blood loss and minimal scarring.
Now months into his recovery, Chris is working with a physiotherapist. “It’s wild, you have to retrain your body to do a lot of stuff,” he says.
Mary has connected with friends and neighbours about the family’s decision to pursue treatment at Michael Garron Hospital. “People ask why we didn’t go downtown and I’m all too happy to tell them about the quality of care we have right here in our own backyard,” she says. “Being able to go somewhere local has made everything easier and we’ve seen better outcomes because of it.”
Giving back
Chris often joked with nurses about taking the robot home with him. But ultimately, he and Mary decided to help our hospital buy a new one.
“When they heard our surgical robot was reaching the end of its serviceable life, donors like Chris and Mary came through for our hospital in a big way,” says Dr. Singal. “Thanks to them, a new surgical system has enabled us to expand our robotic-assisted procedures to treat lung and kidney cancers. It will also allow us to grow further in time. Today even more people are benefitting from our expertise in gold-standard, minimally invasive surgeries.”
“I’m a techie, this stuff fascinates me. And I really see the robot as an example of human-led, tech power: innovations enabling humans to achieve great things,” says Chris. “If other families can benefit from our gift, possibly become donors themselves or spokespeople with their own stories – Mary and I are all for it. We need to help programs like this grow.”
Join Chris and Mary in supporting our hospital’s urgent needs and emerging priorities. Your gift today helps us keep pace with the speed of science and technology to bring patients the care and compassion you know and trust.