Surgical robot now being used for hysterectomies and thoracic procedures

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Use of the da Vinci robotic surgical system is gaining steam at Backus, expanding beyond prostate cancer surgery to include hysterectomies and thoracic procedures.

David Kalla,MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist on the BackusMedical Staff and acting Chairman of the Division of Surgical Services, performed robotic hysterectomies in January and February and said they went very well.

“It was a tremendous experience to work with the robot,” Dr. Kalla said. “It was actually easier than performing a regular laparoscopic procedure because of the dexterity of the robotic tools.”

He said he would not have been able to do this type of hysterectomy laproscopically without the da Vinci system. The surgery also took less time than expected. He said he and Stephen Briggs,MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist and President of the BackusMedical Staff, performed the procedure together and have several more cases scheduled.

One in three women in the U.S. will have a hysterectomy before she turns 60.

With da Vinci, a hysterectomy requires only a few small incisions, so you can get back to your normal activities faster—within days rather than the usual weeks required with traditional surgery.

Juan Escalon,MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Backus Physician Services, recently performed a thoracic procedure with the surgical system.

“The robot makes the procedure easier because of the degrees of motion available. The laproscopic tools are easier to manipulate with the robot in tight spaces,” Dr. Escalon said.

“Right now I can only use this technology for certain cases, but eventually we will be able to use it for more situations as technology increases.”

The da Vinci surgical system was initially used at Backus for prostate cancer, kidney and bladder operations. The robot allows doctors to see the surgical field in three dimensions at 10-12 times the magnification of the human eye.

 

Robotic hysterectomy benefits

The robotic systemenables gynecologists to performthemost precise,minimally invasive hysterectomy available today.

Benefits can include:

  • Less pain
  • Minimal blood loss
  • Fewer complications
  • Shorter hospital stays
  • Quicker recovery and return to normal activities
  • Small incisions forminimal scarring