Until very recently, patient options for traditional surgery included large, open incisions or laparoscopy, which uses small incisions but is typically limited to very simple procedures. Thanks to a breakthrough surgical technology, there is a new category of robotic surgery that allows surgeons to offer a minimally invasive option for complex surgical procedures such as radical prostatectomy and hysterectomy.

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If your doctor recommends hysterectomy, you may be a candidate for a new, less invasive surgical procedure called da Vinci Hysterectomy. This procedure uses a state-of-the-art surgical system designed to help your surgeon perform a more precise, minimally invasive procedure.

The procedure he is performed is a new, minimally invasive approach to hysterectomy, which combines the advantages of conventional open and minimally invasive hysterectomies – but with potentially fewer drawbacks. da Vinci Hysterectomy is becoming the treatment of choice for many surgeons worldwide, as it uses only a few small incisions. It is performed using the da Vinci System, which enables surgeons to perform surgical procedures with unmatched precision, dexterity and control.

da Vinci Hysterectomy offers numerous potential benefits over traditional approaches to vaginal, laparoscopic or open abdominal hysterectomy, particularly when performing more challenging procedures like radical hysterectomy for gynecologic cancer. Potential benefits include: Significantly less pain, less blood loss, fewer complications, less scarring, shorter hospital stay and a faster return to normal daily activities.

In some cases, surgeons may be able to offer a uterine-preserving procedure as an alternative to hysterectomy. These include myomectomy or sacrocolpopexy, which can also be performed using the da Vinci Surgical System in a minimally invasive approach.

One alternative to hysterectomy is myomectomy – or surgical removal of uterine fibroids. It is estimated that up to one third of all hysterectomies are performed for this reason. Myomectomy preserves the uterus, and so it may be recommended for women who wish to become pregnant. About 65,000 myomectomies are performed annually in the United States.

Sacrocolpopexy is a procedure designed to surgically correct vaginal vault prolapse. In this procedure, surgical mesh is used to hold the vagina in the correct anatomical position. This procedure can also be performed following a hysterectomy in order to treat uterine prolapse and provide long-term support for the vagina.

For most women, da Vinci Surgery offers numerous potential benefits over traditional surgical approaches, including:

da Vinci® Trained Gynecologic Physicians at Orange Park Medical Center:

What is da Vinci®?  The da Vinci Surgical System is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. The da Vinci System consists of an ergonomic surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance 3D HD vision system and proprietary EndoWrist® instruments. Powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology, the da Vinci System is designed to scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon's hand movements into more precise movements of the EndoWrist instruments. The net result is an intuitive interface with breakthrough surgical capabilities.

The da Vinci Surgical System’s main features include Intuitive® motion, high-resolution 3D vision and innovative EndoWrist instrumentation. Intuitive motion refers to the System’s interface, which helps make da Vinci surgery look and feel like traditional "open" surgery. But this is where the similarities end.

The da Vinci System’s high-resolution 3D stereo viewer is designed to provide surgeons with an immersive experience. Unlike conventional approaches, the target anatomy appears at high magnification, in brilliant color and with natural depth of field. To perform a procedure, the surgeon uses the console’s master controls to maneuver the patient-side cart’s four robotic arms, which securely hold the patented EndoWrist instruments and high-resolution endoscopic camera. The EndoWrist instruments’ jointed-wrist design exceeds the natural range of motion of the human hand; motion scaling and tremor reduction further interpret and refine the surgeon’s hand movements. A final hallmark of the da Vinci System is its fail-safe design, incorporating multiple, redundant safety features designed to minimize opportunities for human error when compared with traditional approaches.

The da Vinci System is a remarkable improvement over conventional laparoscopy, in which the surgeon operates while standing, using hand-held, long-shafted instruments, which have no wrists. With conventional laparoscopy, the surgeon must look up and away from the instruments, to a nearby 2D video monitor to see an image of the target anatomy. The surgeon must also rely on his/her patient-side assistant to position the camera correctly. In contrast, the da Vinci System’s ergonomic design allows the surgeon to operate from a comfortable, seated position at the console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, the surgeon simply moves his/her hands.

By providing surgeons with superior visualization, enhanced dexterity, greater precision and ergonomic comfort, the da Vinci Surgical System makes it possible for more surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures involving complex dissection or reconstruction. This ultimately raises the standard of care for complex surgeries, translating into numerous potential patient benefits.

For the patient, a da Vinci procedure can offer all the potential benefits of a minimally invasive procedure, including less pain, less blood loss and less need for blood transfusions. Moreover, the da Vinci System can enable a shorter hospital stay, a quicker recovery and faster return to normal daily activities. Clinical studies also suggest that the da Vinci System may help surgeons provide better clinical outcomes than conventional technologies allow — for example, better cancer control and a lower incidence of impotence and incontinence with da Vinci Prostatectomy.