Perth Amboy Man Finds Relief With a Robotic Ostomy Reversal

Jose Oliveres Estrade, 50, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is a family man who loves outdoor grilling and watching soccer. For nearly eight years, he has worked at a local pizzeria, until a sudden medical emergency put his life on hold.

Jose started having severe stomach pain. He took medicine so he could keep working, but it wasn't enough.

"My pain went from 1 to 100, and I just couldn't take it anymore," Jose says.

He went to the emergency room at Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center, where doctors discovered he had perforated diverticulitis, a condition where the colon becomes inflamed, the wall tears and bacteria release into the abdomen, causing an infection. His intestine had ruptured and Jose needed emergency surgery.

A Life-Saving Surgery 

To save his life, surgeons performed an emergency open Hartmann's procedure to  remove part of his colon. Jose woke up with 32 stitches and an ostomy bag.

The extensive open surgery meant a long, difficult recovery. Jose was out of work for an entire year. He felt uncomfortable and had trouble sleeping on his side. He credits his wife for helping him get through the hardest days.

"My wife was number one on that job," Jose says. "Without her, I couldn't be here."

Building Trust for a Second Surgery 

Jose sought a new surgeon who would support his long-term care journey. When it was time to reconnect his intestines and remove the ostomy bag, he found Jessica Treto, M.D., a general surgeon at Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center.

"She gave me that trust," Jose says. "She gave me that comfort that I know she will be doing a good job."

Jose's case was complex. His previous open surgery left a lot of scar tissue. Plus, a brief flare-up of diverticulitis delayed his second surgery by six weeks.

Despite the scar tissue, Dr. Treto planned a minimally invasive approach.

"I usually offer to start minimally invasive even if the patient had an open surgery before," Dr. Treto says. "It doesn’t always stay that way and sometimes a conversion to an open procedure is necessary, but sometimes it does, which can provide a lot of benefit."

A Faster Return to Normal Life

Dr. Treto successfully performed the complex reversal using an advanced minimally invasive robotic technique. By using this method, she helped Jose avoid another large cut.

“This allows for higher precision and visualization throughout the surgery,” Dr. Treto explains. 

The difference in recovery was massive. Instead of a year, Jose was walking well by week four. By week six, he was back to work at the pizzeria.

Dr. Treto notes that Jose's attitude played a big role in his healing.

"Jose has a great spirit and he always stayed positive," she says. "He had a great outlook on the challenges he faced and was always motivated to play his part in ensuring a good outcome."

Today, Jose is back to grilling and spending time with his family. The experience gave him a new outlook on his future.

"Now I see everything different," Jose says. "Every minute of my life, I enjoy it. I try to be more for my kids, more for my family, more for my wife."

Next Steps & Resources

• Meet our source: Jessica Treto, M.D.
• Learn more about General Surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health