Trinidad’s Story: Getting Another Chance at Life After Colorectal Surgery
BMC Brighton patient Trinidad Barrios is thankful to Dr. Vega for his survival: “I’m back at work now and feeling great.…if he hadn’t stepped in and done the surgery, I would not be alive right now.”
Trinidad Barrios learned he had colorectal cancer on a Saturday morning in September 2024. “I hadn’t been feeling well,” he says. “I had been losing weight, and I had a fever and chills. One Friday, I was feeling so awful at work that I knew I had to do something.”
The next day, he went to the emergency department at his local hospital, where a CT scan showed he had a large tumor in his colon. “They told me the tumor was the size of a grapefruit, and I needed surgery right away to remove it,” he says. “But after the surgeon had opened me up, he realized he couldn’t remove the cancer. They told me there was nothing else they could do for me and were going to send me home. They told me and my family that I didn’t have much time left.”
A Lifesaving Second Opinion from BMC
Trinidad’s family asked for a second opinion, and he was sent by ambulance to Dr. Eduardo Vega, a hepato–bilio–pancreatic surgeon at Boston Medical Center – Brighton.
“I got to BMC around 1 or 2 in the morning, and I met with Dr. Vega. He explained that they were going to do another CT scan to see what was going on,” says Trinidad. After looking at the scans, Dr. Vega told Trinidad that the cancer had spread to his gallbladder and liver, but he believed he could remove it. “I was nervous to go back into surgery, but I felt like I could trust Dr. Vega, and knew I should do it.”
The next morning, Trinidad went in for a second surgery, this time at BMC Brighton. Eleven hours later, Dr. Vega went out to the waiting room to give Trinidad’s wife and daughter the good news—the surgery had gone well, and he had successfully removed the tumor, as well as Trinidad’s gallbladder and part of his small intestine and liver. “We were all so happy—Dr. Vega had saved my life,” says Trinidad.
Facing Another Surgery
But Trinidad’s cancer journey was not over. After a round of chemotherapy and six doses of immunotherapy, Trinidad had another CT scan. It showed a few small spots on his liver. A PET scan confirmed it was cancer.
“Dr. Vega said he wanted to remove the cancer with a third surgery, but first I needed to have another round of chemotherapy and pills to make the tumor smaller,” says Trinidad.
Once his care team confirmed that the tumor had shrunk, Dr. Vega performed a third surgery to remove another small piece of Trinidad’s liver. Then he was given another round of chemotherapy. “That round of chemo was tough,” says Trinidad. “They were strong drugs and I had some bad side effects. But I got through it and I’m still here to talk about it.”
A Surprising Diagnosis
During his treatment, Trinidad learned that he has Lynch syndrome, a condition that runs in families. Having Lynch syndrome increases the risk of developing colorectal and other cancers at a younger age. Looking at Trinidad’s family history, it made sense.
“Both of my parents died of cancer, so it’s something we need to watch for in my kids and my other family members, I’m telling everyone to get tested for it,” he says. “If they have Lynch syndrome, they can get tested more often for these cancers.”
Feeling Thankful for a Second Chance
A couple of months ago, Trinidad got the good news he was hoping for—a CT scan showed he was clear of cancer. “They said everything looks good and everything was clean. I’m back at work now and feeling great. It’s amazing how much Dr. Vega helped me. He’s an awesome guy. If he hadn’t stepped in and done the surgery, I would not be alive right now.”
Trinidad says that he feels lucky the cancer hadn’t spread further. “I’m very proud to be a patient at BMC and very happy to be alive. They’ve got great care at BMC, and everybody should know that they have specialists there who can help you with anything. They saved my life and I’m very thankful.”
Comprehensive, Compassionate Care for Liver, Pancreas, Biliary, and Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers
Our multidisciplinary team provides comprehensive care for diseases of the liver, pancreas, biliary system, and gastrointestinal tract. We combine advanced surgical expertise with medical oncology, interventional radiology, gastroenterology, pathology, and radiation oncology to deliver personalized treatment plans, so that you can have the best possible outcomes. When possible, this includes minimally invasive and robotic-assisted approaches and enhanced recovery pathways to help you heal faster.