Retiree Finds Renewed Hope through Advanced Endoscopic Treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital

By: Krysten Brenlla

Lena Mor, a 70-year-old retiree originally from Israel, spent most of her life in New Jersey before settling in South Florida three years ago. After decades of hard work, she was looking forward to a peaceful retirement. However, her plans were put on hold when she was diagnosed with a large colon tumor.

Despite undergoing multiple colonoscopies at different facilities, her tumor was considered too complex, and she was only offered surgical options for treatment.

Everything changed when she sought care at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Mor was referred to Fabian Emura, MD, a gastroenterologist and well-known advanced endoscopist at Jackson Memorial and UHealth – University of Miami.

“When I first saw Ms. Mor, she had a large, laterally spreading tumor located in a challenging part of the colon,” Dr. Emura said. “Fortunately, it was a superficial tumor, typically referred for surgery at most institutions in the U.S. However, at Jackson, we were able to offer her a minimally invasive procedure called endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), which uses endoscopic knives to remove tumors from the colon, stomach, or esophagus.”

The ESD procedure allowed Dr. Emura to remove the entire tumor without invasive or laparoscopic surgery.
The 90-minute operation used state-of-the-art endoscopic equipment recently introduced at Jackson Memorial.

“Dr. Emura and his team were incredible. They explained every step of the process, answered all my questions, and made me feel genuinely cared for,” Mor said. “I’ve never experienced such personalized attention from a medical team.”

After the procedure, she went home the same day, free of pain and complications.

“I feel amazing now,” she said. “I’m healthy, and I’m grateful for the advanced endoscopy team at Jackson Memorial.”

Dr. Emura emphasized the importance of screening colonoscopies for early detection of conditions like Mor’s.

“These types of lesions often don’t present symptoms, which is why regular screenings for colorectal cancer starting at the age of 45 are crucial,” he said.

Today, Mor is enjoying retirement with a renewed sense of health and hope. She encourages others to seek care at Jackson Memorial.

“Jackson Memorial is different from any other hospital I’ve experienced,” she said. “They don’t just treat the condition; they care for the person.”