BOZEMAN — On November 1st, Bozeman’s first Center for Holistic Surgery – where wellness meets surgery recovery and preparation – opened.
“I’ve never seen anything with this type of approach in the medical space,” said Lona Voigt, a Bozeman resident who was diagnosed with cancer in 2021.
WATCH: One patient's recovery went from "awful" to amazing
Voigt says her cancer diagnosis led her to need to have two significant surgeries. She says the recovery process from her first surgery was “awful,” leading her to seek out help for her second surgery: a radical hysterectomy. She began working with Dr. Jennifer Stevane, a surgeon and founder of the new Center for Holistic Surgery.
“I optimized through techniques Dr. Stevane had me use,” said Voigt. Voight said those techniques included different supplements, an anti-inflammatory diet, prioritizing gut health, and more.
MTN asked Voigt if she felt a difference in the recovery process for the second surgery.
“It was night and day,” she said. “The second surgery was a significantly larger surgery, and the recovery was easier than the first.”
So, what exactly is the Center for Holistic Surgery? As Dr. Stevane explains, it’s all about prioritizing a person as a whole.
“As a surgeon, I put people through a lot of stress, and I’m not taking care of the person behind the patient,” said Dr. Stevane. “If you take care of the person, they’re going to do better through a stressful event.”
MTN asked Dr. Stevane how she does this.
“I help with getting to know the patient and what would work for them. So, do they like massage, do they like acupuncture…” she said.
With nearly 50% of American adults being worried about not affording healthcare next year, according to research by Gallup and West Health, MTN asked Dr. Stevane how she tackles healthcare and affordability.
“Health care is very expensive,” said Dr. Stevane. “Patients want and deserve more time and attention than they have.”
Dr. Stevane says she is able to accept insurance for surgeries specifically. She recommends the blogs on her website for free health information and says holistic healthcare is an investment.
“If the patient can improve upon their health before going into surgery, then the cost of the recovery is going to be much smaller,” said Dr. Stevane.
Dr. Stevane says she serves people around the country and chose Bozeman specifically as the home base for the Center for Holistic Surgery because it “is a really great community of smart, active, healthy-minded individuals."
“So, it’s the perfect place to implement this new kind of healthcare,” said Dr. Stevane.
For more information about the Center for Holistic Surgery, visit this link.
