The key to John Adamek's happiness is getting behind the wheel of his truck or cruising with his camper, but he had to put the brakes on with hardly any warning.
"They found it by accident, in essence. I had no symptoms," Adamek recalled.
After routine blood work and lots of tests, Adamek learned he had cancer of the esophagus. It needed to come out.
"A lot of things can go wrong if you are an inexperienced surgeon, doing it alone," said Dr. Sharona Ross, director of surgical endoscopy at Florida Hospital Tampa.
Ross and Dr. Alex Rosemurgy teamed up for a delicate, robotic surgery.
"Robotic esophagectomy is unique," Ross said.
With one surgeon bedside and a second at the controls of the robot, incisions are made in the neck and the abdomen, and the esophagus is removed. Surgeons are able to avoid the chest area, meaning less chance of serious complications.
"We, in fact, were able to completely bypass the intensive care unit," Ross explained.
The robotic surgery also meant a faster recovery time. Adamek was out of the hospital in six days, and he's getting used to life without his esophagus.
"My stomach is now up here. It doesn't feel any different. Internally, I feel fine. I feel like I have my original strength," Adamek said.
That meant he could get right back on the road.
Doctors say not every esophageal cancer patient is a candidate for minimally invasive, robotic surgery. Experts say it's important that the cancer has not spread.
Adamek said his health insurance covered most of the $134,000 cost of the surgery.
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