Every year thousands of women are told that a gynecological surgery is their best option to improve or maintain health. In fact, according to the National Uterine Fibroids Foundation, 600,000 women undergo hysterectomies annually to remove all or part of the uterus. The full number of gynecological surgeries increases when the number of additional gynecological surgeries is added to the total.

Many women need surgical procedures to repair the uterus, vagina, or other parts of the female reproductive system, but they would like to have more treatment options to choose from. Traditional surgeries often involve a large incision across the abdomen—six-inch incisions are fairly standard—through which the surgeon is able to access the internal organs and repair or remove them. This incision causes more bleeding, more chance for infection, a longer recovery time (as long as six weeks), and a large and permanent scar. It’s important to listen to doctors’ advice and undergo surgery when it is recommended, but advances in medical technology now offer women more options.

Robotic Surgery

While it may sound strange at first, robotic surgery is an effective and viable option for patients who are faced with many types of surgery, including gynecological procedures. The da Vinci® Surgical Robot is a tool that helps both surgeons and patients. The surgery still takes place in a sterile environment and is overseen by an experienced surgeon. The difference is that with robotic surgery the actual cutting, slicing, and manipulating of your body are done by a robot.

The surgeon is only a few feet away at a console where he or she has complete control over the robotic arms. The console that the surgeon uses allows the physician a full view of the inside of your body. The da Vinci® robotic arms are all outfitted with different tools. Some of the arms have scalpels, robotic hands that replace the surgeon’s hands, tools that can stitch up incisions, and a camera that allows the surgeon to see exactly what is happening inside your body at the precise site of the surgical procedure.

Why Is it Better?

Robotic surgery affords the patient some luxuries that traditional surgeries do not. They are considered to be minimally invasive procedures because they provide excellent medical outcomes with smaller incisions and less manipulation of the body.

• Less bleeding due to the fact that the incisions are smaller. A robotic gynecological procedure will use several 1- to 2-cm incisions instead of one large incision.
• Faster recovery because the incisions are smaller, you do not need to spend extra time in the hospital while the staff oversees the recovery of the surgical wound. This means you are out of the hospital and back to your life far sooner. Every patient will have a different recovery time, since all bodies are different, but robotic procedures have you back on your feet quickly.
• Less scarring results because the incisions are so much smaller.

What Procedures Are Offered?

Robotic surgery is an option for women who have been diagnosed with cervical and/or uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, and menorrhagia and other disorders that relate to excessive bleeding. Keep in mind that robotic surgery is a great development within the healthcare field, but it may not be the best option for every patient. Your body, condition, and health status may make other treatment options more favorable than robotic surgery. Be sure to talk to your doctor about which treatment option will best suit you.

Also keep in mind that not every hospital has made the investment in robotic technology. If your medical care provider does not offer robotic surgery then you might want to seek out a hospital that does. The HCA East Florida family of hospitals offers these advanced treatment options at several locations including Kendall Regional Medical Center in Miami. Residents of Doral and Westchester can reap the benefits of this technology without traveling far from home, but we are proud to serve the entire South Florida community.

Sources:

HysterSisters

National Uterine Fibroids Foundation

Encyclopedia of Surgery

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