Haili Vance of Woodland, WA

Surgeon:  Dr. Allen Gabriel, Southwest Medical Group Plastic Surgery

“I lost about 90 pounds just working out and eating better. I worked way too hard to still be this self-conscious,” Haili says.  Dr. Gabriel performed an upper body lift, a procedure that helps improve one’s appearance and confidence.  Haili found her Doctor Right and was thrilled with the results.  “He was perfect for me!”

Bill Bennett of Vancouver, WA

Surgeons: Dr. Steven Matous, Dr. Christopher Rubano, Dr. Andrea Lange, Southwest Medical Group Surgical Specialists

Bill Bennett takes care of his health. He walks with his wife, hand-hoes his 4,000-square-foot garden and does daily calisthenics. But at age 65, he had never had a colonoscopy.

He went to see his primary care doctor for a physical because he had gained some weight and his blood pressure was up. Because men should get regular colonoscopies starting at age 50, Bill was scheduled for one with Dr. Steven Matous.

That day, he learned that he had stage one cancer in his colon. It was a tricky weekend – Fourth of July – and there was a skeleton crew on duty with several surgeries scheduled for July 3. The colonoscopy was July 2, and Dr. Matous offered to perform Bill’s surgery that very night. Bill decided to wait until the next day and was put under the care of Dr. Christopher Rubano and Dr. Andrea Lange.

During a less invasive laparoscopic surgery, the doctors removed a foot or more of Bill’s large intestine. He spent only three days in the hospital and was walking the very first day after surgery.

He followed up with Dr. Matous, who, said Bill, was very happy that the lab reports from the surgery showed no more signs of cancer. “He came up and grabbed me and hugged me and said, ‘I have good news!’”

Bill’s recovery was well on its way only a couple of weeks after the surgery, with soreness decreasing, and, as he put it, his “plumbing all works excellently.” Not even August yet, and he was taking his grandkids to the museum for the day.

Bill was struck by Dr. Rubano’s conviction in using laparoscopic surgery – that it is a thorough, less invasive and effective way to beat colon cancer. So far, Bill’s results and recovery tell the tale.

The retired locomotive engineer spends laid back days working on his ’57 Chevy and brings a relaxed but positive attitude to life and health. He found the same at Southwest Medical Group Surgical Specialists.

“It couldn’t be a better place to be, if you have to do something like that,” said Bill, “and I couldn’t have had better people.”

Laura Loving of Vancouver, WA

Surgeon: Dr. Steven Matous, Southwest Medical Group Surgical Specialists

Laura Loving had gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, most of her adult life. For the last year, she had been having daily attacks, which could last as long as a half-hour and induce nearly unbearable chest pain and, sometimes, even vomiting.

“There were times when I actually thought I was having a heart attack,” she said.

She was suffering from an attack one day while visiting her husband, who was undergoing treatment at Southwest Washington Medical Center. His surgeon, Dr. Steven Matous, noticed her discomfort and asked her about her symptoms. She told him how severe her attacks were and that she had been on medication for ten years. She told him she had had GERD forever and that’s just the way it was.

Dr. Matous knew differently. He told Laura, “I can fix that.”

In all her years of treatment, Laura hadn’t learned that GERD could now be cured with a laparoscopic surgery called a Nissen fundoplication. Dr. Matosh performed the surgery at 8 a.m. one December morning, and Laura was on her way home the next day. She was ate soft foods for about a week, and spent the next several weeks eating carefully and slowly, and within six weeks was eating a regular diet – completely pain free and with minimal to no scarring.

“I have no heartburn or indigestion. It’s all completely gone,” she said. “I didn’t know surgery was an option for GERD, and I don’t know if I would have had it anyway before meeting Dr. Matous. I am big fan of Steve Matous. I am not a big fan of surgery.”

Dr. Matous and his colleagues at Southwest Medical Group Pacific Surgical Specialists have given Laura and her husband Ron a new lease on their lives in Vancouver, where they moved to be near their daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. For them, becoming true Northwesterners means following the Seahawks and looking forward to a new soccer stadium in Portland – but it also means being able to enjoy time with family – a family that now includes Dr. Matous.

“He’s been wonderful, he was always there for Ron and me. He’s become a good friend,” said Laura. “Dr. Matous is a very personable, very confident, very caring young man, extremely intelligent and knowledgeable about what he does. I call Steve my little brother.”

Trisha Mott-Wilson of Vancouver, WA

Surgeon: Dr. Jamie Khaw, Southwest Medical Group Surgical Specialists

Trisha Mott-Wilson knows a good surgeon when she sees one. After enduring more than 20 surgeries in 20 years for endometriosis, knee and heart problems, Trisha learned she had breast cancer before she turned 30. In April of 2008, Trisha found a lump in her breast, but a biopsy ultimately came back negative for cancer. This when Dr. Jamie Khaw, a general surgeon at Southwest Medical Group Surgical Specialists, came into Trisha’s life.

Trisha’s future husband Matt, an Army Reservist, was scheduled to deploy to Iraq, and Trisha wanted to have the masses removed before he left – she also wanted to marry the man she loved. Dr. Khaw scheduled the surgery right away. Trisha and Matt were married, and within a few weeks, the masses were removed. An evaluation revealed the lumps had indeed been tumors and that Trisha had aggressive cancer in her right breast – she would later find out it was in both breasts.

Dr. Khaw wrote a letter to Matt’s commanding officer, asking that Matt’s deployment be delayed so that he could stay in Vancouver and take care of his ailing wife. The same day the couple found out Trisha had cancer, Matt’s commander’s husband died of cancer. She said to him: “You are not going anywhere.”

Trisha, Matt and Dr. Khaw had an extremely difficult decision in front of them—should Trisha have her breasts removed?

“Dr. Khaw took an hour-and-a-half with my husband, my mother-in-law and me. She went over every possible option. She got teary eyed with us, she hugged all of us. It was like my bigger sister with us helping to make this decision,” said Trisha. “The double mastectomy turned out to be the right decision and the one to do quickly. Without her help, I might have gone the easier route, and they would have never known about the lump in my left breast. Dr. Khaw didn’t give me the answer, but she encouraged me.”

Trisha—known as radio personality Trish the Dish—laughs a lot, even at her perilous journey through cancer. And she takes refuge in Matt and her two new stepsons, her good friends and her long career in Motocross racing.

Recovering from breast reconstruction, Trisha reflected on her stay at Southwest Washington Medical Center and her time with Dr. Khaw.

“She is the best surgeon I have ever had. She made everything so easy,” said Trisha. “Everything completely worked out.”

Kristen Taylor of Vancouver, WA

Surgeon: Dr. Allen Gabriel, Southwest Medical Group Plastic Surgery

Kristen Taylor had wanted a tummy tuck for almost 20 years. When she met the right surgeon, Dr. Allen Gabriel of Southwest Medical Group Surgical Specialists, she said, “everything just fell into place.”

Kristen first met Dr. Gabriel in a meeting unrelated to her surgery. “He was so unpretentious, friendly and easy to talk to. I decided to talk to him about body contouring,” she said. “I was very impressed with the type of person he is and how he handles himself.”

Kristen decided to get a “Mommy Makeover.” This contouring procedure includes a tummy tuck, breast lift, upper back liposuction and hip liposuction. The surgery took only five hours. Dr. Gabriel employs state-of the-art technology, and uses an ultrasonic liposuction machine, which leaves the skin very smooth and tight.

“I’m so pleased with the results,” said Kristin, just a few months after the surgery. “It was such a good experience. I had little pain and great care. It was more positive than I even expected it to be.”

Dr. Gabriel’s team left the biggest impression on Kristen. They were present at the very first consultation, and they were there for Kristen through the whole process. “Everyone had a comprehensive understanding of what I needed and wanted from my desired outcome,” she said.

The whole team answered Kristen’s questions promptly and compassionately. Dr. Gabriel called her regularly during recovery. “I never felt like there was any miscommunication or lag in communication, and that was one of the things I was most impressed with.”

A world traveler and runner, Kristen is already back to her supportive family and active life—and looks great living it.

Southwest Medical Group celebrates our patients and their triumphs over medical issues. From life-threatening illness to painful or embarrassing conditions, each patient’s story is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the incredible advances in healthcare. We invite patients and Southwest team members to submit stories using the “Tell Your Story” tab. This blog will grow as we collect more stories. We also encourage you to make comments and share the blog address with your friends, family and others who have an interest in receiving the very best in medical care from experienced and patient-focused providers. If you are looking for you doctor right, our patients (our neighbors) can give you a few suggestions!