Gary Surette (left) credits QEII urologic oncologist, Dr. Ross Mason (right), with helping him return to doing the things he loves following a cancer diagnosis and robotic surgery.
When Gary Surette heard the words, ‘You have prostate cancer’, his initial response was, ‘What can we do about it?’ That confidence and positive outlook, Gary says, were directly tied to his urologic oncologist, Dr. Ross Mason.
“He was so friendly and took his time to explain everything to me. It eased my mind. I was confident from day one because of him,” reflects Gary, three years on from his cancer diagnosis.
It was also the first time that Gary heard about a surgical robot at the QEII Health Sciences Centre: the da Vinci X. The donor-funded technology was the first-ever surgical robot in Atlantic Canada when it arrived in 2019, treating patients living with prostate, kidney, gynecologic, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) cancers.
In the years since the da Vinci’s arrival, the QEII has grown to be a Canadian leader in surgical robotics, with six robots impacting a variety of care areas from neurology to orthopaedics. And five of the robots are fully donor-funded through the QEII Foundation’s $100-million We Are campaign.
At 69 years old and a marathon runner, Dr. Mason told Gary he would be an ideal candidate for robotics surgery.
“Dr. Mason told me, ‘I expect you to have surgery in the morning, on your feet in the afternoon, and out the door the next morning.’ And he was right,” Gary recalls.
The da Vinci’s massive impact on patient outcomes stems from minimally invasive procedures, meaning patients experience less pain and a quicker return home, reducing typical recoveries from five days down to just a couple of days.
And it wasn’t long before Gary, a father of two and grandfather to six, was lacing up his sneakers and running again. In the years since his diagnosis and surgery, he’s maintained good health. In February, a check-up with Dr. Mason showed no traces of cancer. “I feel very grateful and thankful for the care I received.”
Later this month, Gary will be running the Bluenose Marathon in memory of his late friend and colleague of 30 years, who passed away from prostate cancer in 2023.
“He was diagnosed two months before me. When he first started treatment, I offered to drive him to his appointments. Little did I know that two months later he’d be driving me,” says Gary.
As a funeral director, helping people is what inspires Gary most. It’s also why he dedicates his runs at home in Halifax and around the world — like in Dublin, Edinburg, Lisbon and Vancouver — to help raise funds for charities or causes close to him and loved ones, like his late friend.
Like the donors who helped bring the da Vinci surgical robot to the QEII, Gary believes in the power of philanthropy and the opportunities donor support creates.
“I’m a donor myself and I know things happen and things get done when people donate.”
The QEII Foundation is currently raising funds to bring a second da Vinci surgical robot to the QEII, transforming surgical care and increasing critical access for cancer patients. Learn more about the da Vinci XI.
