Have you been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and need to know what your next step is and what your treatment options are?
Rich Bevan-Thomas graduated from Duke University and subsequently completed his masters in anatomy and his medical degree at St. Louis University School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery internship and urologic surgery residency at the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center. After completing his residency, he joined East Bay Urology in San Ramon, California. This is where Dr. Bevan-Thomas specialized in minimally invasive procedures, laparoscopic and robotic surgery utilizing the daVinci surgical system.
In 2007, Dr. Bevan-Thomas was invited to join UANT as part of the one of the world’s largest robotic surgery programs. He has an extensive experience with robotic surgery and began performing robotic surgery in 2002. Since then, he has worked as a consultant for Intuitive Surgical assisting with education and video presentations.
Dr. Bevan-Thomas’ recognitions include the Pfizer scholar in Urology and the Gerald G. Murphy scholar in Urology in 2002. He was the previous chief of Surgery at San Ramon Regional Medical Center prior to joining UANT in 2007. He has been a proctor and instructor in the field of robotics since 2003 and continues to take in interest in patient and physician education. He also works in educating other surgeons as a proctor in the
field of cryosurgery with both prostate and kidney cryoablation. He is currently a member of the American Urological Association,Texas Urologic Society, The Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, and Tarrant County Medical Society.
Dr. Bevan-Thomas and his wife and 3 children live the Dallas metroplex and they are ecstatic to be back in Texas. He enjoys Karate where he has served as a black belt instructor in several different styles and continues to train and compete in the Martial Arts.
With years of medical experience, Dr. Bevan-Thomas' expertise in Urology has helped thousands of patients evaluate and solve their most personal problems. From the simplest to the most complex of cases, his innovative urological solutions will enhance patients' lives. By growing up in a medical family and having both parents as committed physicians, Dr. Bevan-Thomas' approach to medicine remains compassionate and
committed like his parents. Technology has undergone an incredible evolution over the last few decades and Dr. Bevan-Thomas utilizes this technology to better educate patients and provide advanced care. Despite the complexity of Medicine and Urologic conditions in particular, Dr. Bevan-Thomas can simplify these conditions into simple language so patients leave the office understanding their medical condition and plan of care.
Prostate Cancer continues to remain the the most common non-skin malignancy to effect men. 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, however not every man with prostate cancer will require aggressive treatment. One of the most challenging choices a man must make is how to decide upon a treatment plan. At UPNT we start from the basics. We first look at the patient and his expectations and then work through a cancer network algorithm to help that patient reach a decision. Rarley does prostate cancer require immediate treatment and UPNT works on education understanding the risks and benefits of each treatment to ensure that all of our patients have made the best decision for their particular cancer.
Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) continues to remain the most important way to detect men with prosate cancer. The PSA molecule is a protein that is produced by the prostate and found in the blood at low levels (less than 2.5). If the PSA test is above 2.5, or if there is an abnormal rise in the PSA over a period of a year despite the absolute number, this may mean that the patient may have prostate cancer. Not all men have prostate cancer with an abnormal or rapidly rising PSA, however it is important to investigate this further with a consultation with a Urologist. The physicians at UPNT will evaluate all of the data and explain the next step. Perhaps the most important aspect of the PSA test is that it gives as a sign that something could be wrong wihout feeling pain or discomfort. Prostate Cancer is a silent disease that has no symptoms in the early stages and if patients wait until they begin having symptoms such as back pain or wight loss, most of those patients will have metastatic disease and the cancer has spread to other areas of their bodies. Unfortunately, we can't cure those patients but we can cure most men if we catch the cancer in the early stages. Get your PSA, Know your number.
The prostate biopsy is currently the only way to detect whether a patient has prostate cancer. This is a procedure that is routinely done in the office setting under local anesthesia and takes about 10-15 minutes. UPNT routinely performs more than 100 biopsies a month and ensures that patients are comfortable during this process. In addition, we use the latest ultrasound technology to detect any suspicious areas in the prostate which are trageted during this process. After the procedure, patients are given a review of the ultrasound, any abnormalities that were found and targeted and a follow up appointment to discuss the results of the pathology. This individualized experience is what sets UPNT apart from other clinics. Our patients are pleasantly surprised with easy and painless the process actually is in the hands of experts in the field.
Robotic surgery continues to remain at the forefront of treating many urologic cancers. Robotic surgery is an extension of laparoscopic surgery by making it easier to perform complex maneuvers during these surgeries. Pure laparoscopic surgery is like operating with chopsticks and although many surgeries are performed laparoscopically, many of these surgeries require suturing and manipulating tissue and the robot makes it easier and more efficient to peform these movements. This not only shortens the time in the operating room but also improves the results for the patients. Robotic surgery continues to expand to other areas of surgery besides prostate, kidney and bladder surgery, but one aspect remains consistent across the board, the patient needs an experienced robotic surgeon to perform these surgeries. UPNT surgeons are among the most experienced in the field with over 5000 robotic surgeries to date and well over 4500 robotic prostate surgeries.
Provide unique content write up speaking directly to this target patient; written in the first person connecting you/your expertise to this individual patient/circumstances. The Robotic Prostatectomy has now become the most common surgery for men with prostate cancer. It is now estimated that over 80% of men who undergo surgery have a robotic prostatectomy in contrast to an open prostatectomy. In addition, because of the complex nature of the surgery, many of these men choose centers of excellence like the UPNT because of expertise. Many studies have validated the improvement in patient outcomes with centers performing large numbers of specific surgeries. UPNT surgeons have been performing robotic surgery since 2002 with Dr. Bevan-Thomas in California and were the first center to perform the robotic prostatectomy in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex in 2004. The UPNT surgeons continue to remain at the top in their field with almost 5000 robotic prostatectomy surgeries to date. This places UPNT as one of the largest volume robotic centers in the country and the busiest in the state of Texas. Experience matters, UPNT delivers.
Cryoablation, also referred to as Cryosurgery, involves placing probes into tissue and freezing it. The freezing process detroys tissue in multiple ways and leaves the tissue remaining as scar tissue. One of the major advantages of cryoablation is the minimally invasive way in which it is delivered. Each cryoprobe is a small needle which forms an icicle around the probe thus causing destruction. Cancer is immediately destroyed. This technique can be used for both prostate and kidney cancer and UPNT has one of the world's largest experience with this technique. For men with prostate cancer, this is offered to men looking for a minimally invasive approach and an alternative to robotic surgery and radiation therapy. It remains the only FDA approved treatment for patients with recurrent cancer in the prostate after radiation therapy. This type of therapy for men is also referred to as salvage therapy because the cancer has returned after the primary therapy. UPNT is a Cryoablation center of excellence for both primary and salvage therapy and continues to remain at the forefront of treating these patients interested in an alternative to the standard treatments offered in most areas of the country.
Have you been diagnosed with an elevated PSA and need to know what your next steps are?
Are you at risk? Protect your health and get your prostate screening today at UPNT.
A biopsy is the only way to know if you have prostate cancer. A prostate biopsy removes small samples of prostate tissue from the body
The team at UPNT is committed to providing athe latest breakthroughs in nerve-sparing robotic surgical techniques
Cryosurgery is a breakthrough prostate cancer treatment that is a proven, minimally invasive alternative to surgical treatments
UPNT Urology Office
5005 South Cooper, Suite 250
Arlington, Texas 76017
1-866-367-8768
(210) 892-3624 – fax