Milo Pietz

Milo Pietz, a 70-year-old retired high school and university choral music instructor from Huron, S.D., is aware of the benefits of exercise and a healthy lifestyle. So instead of slowing down during retirement, he works hard to maintain his good health.

He and his wife of 47 years, Donna, have committed to a regular workout schedule at their local fitness center. They exercise three to six times a week including 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise and 30 minutes of weight training in their routine. Another healthy choice Milo made, in 1992, was to give up smoking for good.

Yet despite these positive measures, in February 2006, Milo developed a cough that would not go away, and he went to his family physician for a checkup.

"The doctor thought I had pneumonia, and I was treated for that," says Milo.

Cough Persists

The cough persisted, so a month later another chest X-ray was performed.

"They didn't like what they saw, so they did a CAT scan, followed by a biopsy," says Milo. "At that point, they found a malignant spot on my lung."

A firm believer in getting a second opinion before determining a course of action, Milo talked to friends and family, including his son, Russell, a family practice physician in Aberdeen, S.D.

"My son talked to one of his colleagues who highly recommended Dr. Mark Allen, a thoracic surgeon at Mayo Clinic," says Milo. "I also talked to friends who encouraged me to go to Mayo, so I made an appointment to meet Dr. Allen."

"I Had Full Trust"

Mayo Clinic has extensive experience in treating lung cancer. Each year,in Rochester, specialists treat more than 1,500 new patients who have lung cancer, and surgeons perform more than 1,000 lung cancer surgeries.

Milo met with Mark Allen, M.D., at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and they discussed his condition and a segmentectomy — a surgical procedure to remove a segment of his lung. Together, they determined to move forward with the surgery.

"I had full trust in Dr. Allen," says Milo. "This is what he does — he performs many similar surgeries every week. And he came so highly recommended. I was very comfortable and had faith in him."

On-site Pathology Lab Benefits Surgeon and Patient

During surgery, Dr. Allen and Milo benefited from an in-suite pathology laboratory, a feature few other medical institutions currently offer.

"At Mayo, we have a frozen section pathology lab right in the operating room suite," says Dr. Allen. "It allows for rapid and accurate microscopic analysis of tissue while a patient is still in the operating room."

Specifically, lab analysis allows doctors to know whether they have removed all of the cancer, within minutes of removing the tissue. Without frozen section analysis, determining whether all of the cancer has been removed can take several days instead of minutes, and can result in a patient having to undergo multiple surgeries.

Special Postoperative Care Helps in Recovery

According to Dr. Allen, at Mayo Clinic recovering thoracic surgery patients not only receive state-of-the-art treatment in the operating room, but also get special postoperative care.

"At Saint Marys Hospital [in Rochester], there is an area designed specifically for patients recovering from lung cancer surgery," says Dr. Allen. "In this unit, we have a pain service team that comes around to monitor and manage pain."

"When I came out of surgery, I was in a great deal of pain," says Milo. "But within half an hour, everything was under control. Both pre- and post-surgery, the care was so excellent. They came in and checked on me often throughout my stay, and in fact, I don't recall ever having to ring for anyone to assist me."

Quick Recovery

Milo recovered quickly and was pleased that his hospital stay was shorter than anticipated.

"Originally, I was told to expect to stay in the hospital for five to seven days," says Milo. "As it turned out, they did the surgery Monday afternoon, and by Friday morning we were on our way home."

Milo credits a combination of factors, including his own good health and expert care and encouragement from the Mayo team, for helping speed his recovery.

"The staff told me that one of the quickest ways to go home was to become active and get up and walk every day, so I did that very diligently," says Milo. "I was up and walking the next day after surgery."

Back on Track

Today, Milo is back to full speed, and remains actively involved in a variety of musical pursuits, from singing solos in his church choir and participating with a community music group to judging regional choral music competitions. He also enjoys catching up with his four grown children and 10 grandchildren, who live in Huron; Aberdeen; LeMars, Iowa; and Morgan, Minn.

He and Donna are back to their regular fitness routine, working out several times each week. In addition, Milo lost 15 pounds during 2006, and although he is not overweight, Dr. Allen recommended he keep the weight off.

"He told me this is a good weight for me, so I am working to stay here," says Milo. "I feel good, and want to do whatever I can to help keep my good health."