Kevin McArdle – Robotic Surgery

Kevin McArdle, a business consultant who lives in the McGregor area, values the high quality of healthcare in our small rural community. After moving to his lake cabin from the Twin Cities, he has found his home for healthcare at Riverwood Healthcare Center, where advanced medical care is easily accessible and delivered with compassion.

A recent positive experience for Kevin at Riverwood Healthcare Center was having robotic-assisted gallbladder surgery.

“I had a kidney stone issue and came into Riverwood’s urgent care clinic for care. The kidney stone passed, but a CT scan that revealed a new health issue—a condition called porcelain gallbladder. This is a rare condition where the outside of the gallbladder develops calcifications and hardens. This diagnosis carries with it a risk for cancer, so I was glad to have it detected before I had any symptoms.”

Kevin’s primary care doctor recommended he have his gallbladder removed and referred him to a general surgeon

“In my 63 years, I hadn’t had any surgery since I got my tonsils removed as a child. My surgery experience at Riverwood was outstanding!”

“What impressed me the most was that the whole process of surgery options was laid out for me so thoroughly to help me understand the risks and recovery. Everyone involved in my care, from the surgeon and his physician assistant to the nurses doing pre- and post-op surgical care, took plenty of time to carefully explain each step of the procedure. That simply doesn’t happen in the larger health systems I was used to in the Twin Cities.”

With tiny incisions, robotic-assisted surgery often means less pain and faster recovery for patients. That was certainly the case for Kevin, who had his gallbladder surgery in the morning and went home in the afternoon. The next day he discontinued his prescription pain medication, using Tylenol only for the rest of his recovery.

“The healing process went very smoothly. I was back to full strength in two to three weeks.”

Kevin adds: “We are blessed to have a phenomenal healthcare system right here in our backyard within a small rural community. Everyone at Riverwood does great work! The work culture there is very positive.”

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