True Stories:

Larry Parks

Larry had his surgery on February 18, 2004 and was released from the hospital on February 20.

“When you hear the words ‘prostate cancer’ it really focuses the mind,” says Larry Parks, a 61-year old systems engineer and dedicated woodworking hobbyist. “I knew right away I wanted to be aggressive with my treatment so I opted for traditional surgery even though I wasn’t looking forward to the recovery.” When Larry read about UVa’s minimally invasive da Vinci^® surgical system he was sold. “I could see how the precision and accuracy of robotics would translate to surgery and that really appealed to me,” he says. “I knew UVa was top-rated so I called to see if I was a candidate.” He was. “There were moments of discomfort following surgery, sure, but no pain. That was a pleasant surprise.” In fact, less than two weeks after the procedure, Larry was completely continent and ready to get back to his antique woodworking tools – and his life.