Cattails
New hysterectomy option has quicker recovery
“You need a hysterectomy.”
No one wants to hear their doctor tell them surgery is required to address a medical problem. How long will you be in the hospital? How soon can you resume normal activities?
Fortunately, many surgical procedures are now performed using minimally invasive techniques. One of the most advanced minimally invasive techniques uses a robotic system to assist your doctor. Marshfield Clinic Obstetrics and Gynecology physicians are using this technology to perform hysterectomies.
“Hysterectomy is one of the most common of all surgical procedures,” said Greg Tyler, M.D., obstetrician/ gynecologist at Marshfield Clinic Marshfield Center. “The surgery removes the uterus, also known as the womb. There are many reasons your doctor may recommend a hysterectomy, including severe health problems such as cancer or endometriosis.”
The traditional hysterectomy procedure involves an incision across a woman’s abdomen. This approach requires several days in the hospital and a recovery of four to six weeks before fully resuming previous activities.
“Some simple problems can be addressed with a less invasive procedure, but not the more complicated cases. A robotic-assisted procedure may be the answer for many patients needing a hysterectomy,” according to Joseph Welter, M.D., with Marshfield Clinic’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Marshfield Center.
Assisted by the robotic device, your doctor makes several small incisions instead of one large one. The robotic device gives your doctor more precise control and better vision, which makes this minimally invasive procedure possible for complicated cases.
Marshfield Clinic uses the da Vinci® Surgical System in Marshfield. This same system assists doctors in the Urology Department while performing certain prostate procedures. The da Vinci® Surgical System is not a “robot” in the strictest sense of the term. It cannot be programmed, and it makes no decisions on its own.
The system becomes an extension of the surgeon’s hands and eyes. The system does not perform the surgery – it simply enhances your doctor’s skill through its precision.
Dr. Tyler reports patients who have the minimally invasive robotic procedure, typically have:
- Quicker recovery – patients are often back to their normal routine in fewer than three weeks
- Less blood loss
- Less pain
- Fewer complications
“Patients come to Marshfield Clinic for this procedure because they are back to normal activities in about three weeks compared to six weeks of recovery with a traditional approach,” Dr. Welter said. “They are often out of the hospital in 24 hours, which is a real convenience and saves money over the two or three days of hospitalization with a traditional operation.”
Not every patient is a good candidate for robotic-assisted surgery. Your doctor will tell you if this minimally invasive procedure is right for your condition.
