Robotic surgery assistant drastically reducing recovery times
A system recently approved by the FDA is increasing surgical precision and aiding surgeons with previously complex surgeries such as hysterectomies. The robotic system, named Davinci XI, allows for easier key-hole surgeries that cause far less disruption in the patient. As a result of the more efficient system, recovery times can be cut from 6-to-8 weeks to as little as 5 days.

Robotic surgery allows doctors to operate through tiny incisions using controllers and specially designed tools.

Now a new system just approved by the FDA is providing surgeons with more precision than ever before, especially during delicate gynecologic procedures like hysterectomies.

Tracy Tamaris is a 40-year-old single mom who never let anything slow her down until three months ago.

“I was having a lot of cramping, pain, breakthrough bleeding in between cycles,” she said.

Doctors found pre-cancerous cells in her cervix and uterine glands and recommended a hysterectomy. Gynecologic Oncologist Dwight Im used a brand new robotic system for the procedure. Doctor Im says with this system, the Davinci XI, he starts with a one-inch cut in the bellybutton.

“You put four or five instruments through the incision and it is almost as if you have multiple holes, even though you are operating only through just one single hole,” Dr. Im said.

But unlike earlier robotic systems, this system has smaller components.

“The arms are more slender, they move much more easily,” he said. “This allows the surgeon to be able perform the partial hysterectomy without having to worry so much about moving around inside the belly.”

Instead of being sidelined for six to eight weeks, Tracy was back to work in five days.

“I started off half a day,” she said. “But a half day to me is still eight hours.”

Tracy says she’s grateful she’s feeling much better.

“Not so much for me, but for my daughters. Making sure I was healthy and around for them,” she said.

Dr. Im says the new system also has a higher resolution view of the surgical field, which makes it easier to see blood vessels and other tissues.

Read the research summary here:

MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS

RESEARCH SUMMARY

TOPIC: Not Your Mother’s Hysterectomy

REPORT: MB #4128

BACKGROUND: A hysterectomy is a surgery to remove a woman's uterus, which is also known as the womb. When a woman is pregnant, the uterus is where the baby grows. During the surgery the whole uterus is usually removed, but a doctor may also remove the fallopian tubes and ovaries. After a hysterectomy, a woman will no longer have menstrual periods and cannot become pregnant. Nearly 500,000 women get hysterectomies each year in the United States and it is the second most common surgery among women in the United States, with the first being childbirth by cesarean delivery or C-section.

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REASONS FOR HYSTERECTOMY: A surgeon may recommend a hysterectomy if a woman has a problem with her uterus and has not responded to other treatments. Here are some common reasons why a hysterectomy is recommended:

* Non-cancerous fibroid tumors

* Cancerous tumors

* Uterine prolapse (the uterus has slipped down into the vagina)

* Endometriosis (cells from the lining of the uterus grow outside the uterus, causing pain and bleeding)

* Chronic pelvic pain

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NEW TECHNOLOGY: During a robotic hysterectomy, the surgeon uses a computer to control the surgical instruments. With the computer station in the operating room, the surgeon is able to control the robot's movements steadily and precisely. This lets the surgeon get into tiny spaces more easily and have a better view of the operation than in a conventional hysterectomy surgery. Some reasons why a robotic hysterectomy may be preferred include:

* Smaller incisions

* Less pain and a shorter hospital stay after surgery.

* Easier recovery.

* Risk for complications like bleeding or infection may be less.

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