by Stacey Wood, MD
Midtown Obstetrics and Gynecology
Robotics, yes, robots and 3-D imaging, have become the favorite tools of gynecological surgeons here in Charlotte. Gone are the days of open incisions for procedures like hysterectomies (removal of the uterus) and myomectomies (removal of fibroids). The “bikini cut’ incisions required only a few years ago were often large, painful, at risk of infection and would, on occasion, burst open. Instead, patients are seeing the benefits of technology like the da Vinci Surgical System, which allows surgeons to see magnified 3-D images of the area they’re working on. And robotic equipment that mimics the action of the human wrist is resulting in tiny incisions, less blood loss, less pain and, very importantly, a quicker return to normal for our patients.
It all started about 6 years ago, when there was a shift in the Charlotte medical community toward minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and away from “open” surgery.” Laparoscopic procedures require a tiny incision for the scope and two or three additional, yet very small, incisions for other surgical instruments. Another benefit of laparoscopic surgery is that most patients can go home the same day or the next, recuperation is easier, and return to normal activities like work is quicker. Still, laparoscopic surgery has limitations. Due to the 2-dimensional image a surgeon sees on the video screen during laparoscopy and the inflexibility of many laparoscopic instruments, most gynecologic surgeons are unwilling to perform a laparoscopic hysterectomy on a very large uterus or a laparoscopic myomectomy if the patient has multiple or large fibroids. That’s all changed now.
During these past six years, technology evolved by leaps and bounds. And we have been able to overcome many of these obstacles with robotic surgical systems. These robotic systems are a further evolution of laparoscopic surgery. The first and only robotic surgery system FDA approved for use in the United States is manufactured by Intuitive Surgical and is known as the da Vinci Surgical System. This system first was adopted by urologists to perform prostatectomies in men with prostate cancer. Gynecologists came to recognize that the same advantages urologists found using this system in men could be translated to gynecologic surgery in women. This system allows surgeons to have a magnified, 3-D view of the area on which they are operating while utilizing instrumentation that is “wristed,” meaning it actually mimics the actions of the human hand. And surgeons using robotics can still operate through the same tiny incisions used in laparoscopic procedures. As a result, virtually 99% of all open gynecologic procedures have been eliminated from our practice. Potential benefits for patients include less pain, less blood loss, tiny incisions and quicker return to normal activity – a win-win for patients and their surgeons.
But what’s generating the most excitement about robotic surgical systems is their seemingly limitless potential. These systems are beginning to be utilized by surgeons for bariatric, colon, heart, throat cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, gynecologic cancer and other surgeries. So it’s no wonder robotic surgical systems are quickly becoming surgeons’ favorite tools.
To learn more about da Vinci Surgery, visit www.midtown-obgyn.com and hear patient interviews, and find links to the da Vinci website. Or, call 704-316-5270.
Since 1987, the physicians and staff of Midtown Obstetrics and Gynecology have served women through all stages of life with comprehensive obstetrical and gynecological care. The team of providers delivers compassionate care to women in the Charlotte metropolitan region ranging from prevention, wellness, and obstetrical care to advanced surgery such as laparoscopic hysterectomy, and other procedures using the da Vinci robot.
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