My name is Mohd Fahmizan, and I am 25 years old. I’m from Kinarut, Papar, Sabah.
I started my job in 2019 as an Instrument Technician with Sea Hibiscus Sdn Bhd on the North Sabah Platform. I loved my job despite the high physical intensity required of me. My team was like family to me - they were very cohesive and supportive, and I enjoyed working with them.
In 2020, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. I underwent surgery to remove my testis and this was followed by chemotherapy in Sabah between November 2021 to January 2022. However, upon completion of my chemotherapy treatment, it was discovered that my tumour marker levels were raised, and later it was confirmed that there were cancer remnants with enlargement of nodes in the aorto-caval area in February 2022. This was indeed very sad news for me and my family.
My oncologist referred me to a urologist in Kota Kinabalu, who told me I needed to undergo a surgery called retro-peritoneum lymph node dissection (RPLND). However, this is a major surgery and I would have to be referred to the National Urology Institutes in Kuala Lumpur. He further explained to me that RPLND is an open surgery, which requires a big and long midline incision. The recovery journey after this surgery is expected to be long, which may further prolong my medical leave. It has been 5 months since I was away from my “family” then, and I couldn’t wait any longer to see them soon.
I was so glad to know that I had other surgery options besides open surgery. My agent recommended urologist Dr Badrulhisham from Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City, who reviewed my case and assured me that I could undergo robotic-assisted surgery for my condition.
He explained to me that this surgery would be done with a surgical robot called da Vinci Xi through a few incisions (8mm). According to him, the robot would not be performing surgery for me; it would be controlled by the surgeon. The robotic technology helps him cut better with a range of instruments that can rotate and bend flexibly like a human hand, and see better with 10 times magnification through the robot’s 3D camera. This is crucial as the nodes that must be removed are adjacent to the
main vessels in my body, and the use of robotic technology can enhance surgical precision and safety. Besides, since this is a minimally invasive surgery, recovery will be faster.
As expected, my recovery was impressive. I was discharged without any issues on Day 2 after surgery despite it being a major one. I only had some pain which was manageable with painkillers. Also, I was able to walk on Day 1 after the surgery, which never would have been possible if I had open surgery.
I am glad and have never regretted having the robotic surgery done at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City. Thanks to Dr Badrulhidham and everyone who held my hand through this difficult moment, especially my mother!
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