Jim's Story Top-Notch Surgical Expertise and Patient-Centered Care at Good Sam

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Lafayette, CO - There’s peace of mind knowing that if something happens to our health, highly skilled and experienced medical staff are standing by waiting to help. And that’s especially true when it comes to surgical care. For many patients, an acute situation offers no time for delay. Thankfully, SCL Health Good Samaritan Medical Center offers exceptional care when patients need it most.

Jim Kosenski, 57, understands the value of Good Samaritan’s surgical expertise firsthand. For months, Jim experienced occasional stomach pain and digestive problems. When he began having difficulty going to the bathroom, he sought help. Jim called his primary care physician, who advised him to go to the emergency department. He headed straight to Good Samaritan.

Expert Surgical Care

A CT scan showed that Jim’s colon was completely blocked. The blockage caused his colon to enlarge, with toxic substances seeping into his bloodstream. Without emergency surgery, Jim’s colon could burst—a potentially fatal situation. Cody Barnes, MD, general surgeon with Good Samaritan, was called to treat Jim immediately.

“I was shocked and scared, but Dr. Barnes carefully explained everything to me,” Jim says. “He was straightforward and so patient.”

Although most procedures at Good Samaritan can be performed with minimally invasive surgery, such as using traditional laparoscopic or robotic surgical approaches, Jim required open surgery due to his colon’s extreme inflammation. During the four-hour surgery, Dr. Barnes carefully removed the blockage as well as portions of his inflamed and diseased colon.

“My patients are my number one priority. I treat them just as I would my own family,” Dr. Barnes says. “I love being a surgeon because I get to see the immediate results of my work in their lives.”

The Power of Prevention

Thankfully, tests revealed Jim’s blockage was not cancerous. But the emergency could have been prevented with routine care. Jim learned he had diverticulitis, which had caused inflammation and scarring in his colon over the years. The buildup of scar tissue had blocked his colon and almost cost him his life.

“I felt healthy so I never had a colonoscopy when I turned 50. If I had, the growing blockage would have been detected,” Jim says. “Never delay preventive care and screenings. And if something feels off, get help.”

In addition to trauma and other emergency situations like Jim’s, Good Samaritan’s surgical team is known for excellence in nonemergency procedures as well—from hernia and gall bladder to breast surgery and more. In fact, Good Samaritan Medical Center has achieved accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery. This accreditation distinguishes Good Samaritan from other surgical facilities, recognizing that Good Samaritan provides the highest quality of care to patients as determined by an independent, external process of evaluation from the Surgical Review Corporation. This achievement means that Good Samaritan has met nationally and internationally recognized standards—not all hospitals that undergo the rigorous requirements and inspection process are granted accreditation.

Peace of Mind

“I love the community feel at Good Samaritan. All of our surgeons work together for the good of the patients. It’s what led me here,” Dr. Barnes says. “Patients who schedule surgery at our medical center can rest assured they are getting the best care possible.”

After nine days at Good Samaritan, Jim was able to go home. And today, just a few weeks after surgery, he is recovering well and hoping to get back to his landscape business soon.

“I can’t say enough about my medical team. They acted quickly, were ready to help and took great care of me,” Jim says. “I’m so grateful to be here to share my story.”

Surgical Care You Can Trust

If surgery is on your schedule, rest assured that at Good Samaritan we’re focused on your comfort, safety and speedy recovery. Learn more at sclhealth.org/locations/good-samaritan-medical-center/services/surgery.