State senator lauds University of Colorado Hospital after surgery

A Colorado lawmaker is singing the praises of a University of Colorado Hospital surgeon after undergoing successful surgery to remove a small, cancerous tumor from his esophagus.

Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, issued an official news release on Aug. 12 touting the treatment he received for esophageal cancer at UCH on the Anschutz Medical Campus.

Heath, who chairs the Interim Committee on Long-Term Fiscal Stability, said he stepped out of his legislative office in Denver, and into the hospital on Aug. 11 so a surgeon could remove a tumor Boulder Medical Center doctor Robert Levine, MD, found in early August.

Levine referred Heath to UCH's Norio Fukami, MD, one of a handful of physicians in the country who perform the procedure to remove esophageal tumors during outpatient surgery.

I want to thank everyone, particularly my wife and family, for their love, support and good thoughts," Heath said in his news release. "I would also like to thank both my doctors. I am so grateful Dr. Fukami is in Colorado and was able to treat me. I'm feeling great, I'm ready to get back to work, and I'm feeling very positive about the success of the surgery."

Heath celebrated his successful surgery by returning to work on Friday, Aug. 14, attending the first meeting of the Business Personal Property Tax Task Force at the Colorado Capitol.