|
DA VINCI® ROBOTIC SURGERY  | | The surgeon operates the daVinci surgical robot from a remote control console. |
In November 2001, Saint Agnes became the first hospital on the West Coast to use robotic surgery during a minimally invasive coronary bypass. Today, the da Vinci® Surgical System is being used at Saint Agnes Medical Center to revolutionize urological and gynecological surgeries, including minimally invasive prostatectomy (removal of the prostate gland) and hysterectomy procedures.
View the da Vinci Surgical System video >>
The technology
The da Vinci Surgical System is designed to provide surgeons with enhanced capabilities, including high-definition 3D vision and a magnified view. Your doctor controls the da Vinci system, which translates his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside your body. Though it is often called a "robot,"
the da Vinci System cannot act on its own. Instead, the surgery is performed entirely by your surgeon.Together, da Vinci Technology allows your doctor to perform complex procedures through just a few tiny openings. As a result, you may be able to get back to life faster without the usual recovery following major surgery. The da Vinci System has been used successfully worldwide in hundreds of thousands of procedures to date. |
 | | First minimally-invasive prostatectomy surgery at Saint Agnes Medical Center using the daVinci robot. |
Robotic Prostatectomy
Robotic prostatectomy is quickly becoming the preferred treatment for removal of the prostate following early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Although any cancer diagnosis can be traumatic, if your doctor recommends prostate surgery, the cancer was probably caught early.
For most patients, the likelihood of a complete recovery from prostate cancer after a robotic prostatectomy is better than it has ever been, with the added bonus of fewer risks for long-term side effects. Recent studies suggest that prostatectomy procedures performed with the minimally invasive da Vinci robot may offer improved cancer control and a faster return to potency and continence. In contrast, traditional radical prostatectomy, one of the most common treatments for prostate cancer, requires an 8"-10" incision. But with the da Vinci robot, the surgeon makes multiple tiny incisions through which long thin instruments are passed.
View the Robotic Prostatectomy video >>
Dr. Nadeem Rahman discusses latest treatments for Prostate Cancer. >>
|
 | | Illustration compares the large incision of a traditional surgery with the smaller incisions used in the robotic procedure. |
Benefits include: - reduced blood loss
- less post-operative pain
- faster recovery time
- shorter hospital stays.
Risk for incontinence and impotence, potentially significant surgical complications for prostatectomy surguries, are greatly reduced with the robotically assisted procedure.
|
Robotic Hysterectomy
When medication and non-invasive procedures are unable to relieve symptoms, surgery remains the accepted and most effective treatment for a range of gynecologic conditions. These include, but are not limited to, cervical and uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse and menorrhagia or excessive bleeding. Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. In certain situations the cervix and/or the ovaries and fallopian tubes are also removed.
Traditional open gynecologic surgery uses a large incision for access to the uterus and surrounding anatomy. With open surgery comes the risk of significant pain, trauma, a long recovery process and threat to surrounding organs and nerves. Fortunately, less invasive options are available. |
 | | Illustration compares the large incision of a traditional surgery with the smaller incisions used in the robotic procedure. |
Less Invasive Approach
Some gynecologic procedures enable surgeons to access the target anatomy using a vaginal approach, which may not require an external incision. But for complex hysterectomies, robot-assisted surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may be the most effective, least invasive treatment option. Through tiny, 1-2 cm incisions, surgeons can operate with greater precision and control, minimizing the pain and risk associated with large incisions while increasing the likelihood of a fast recovery and excellent clinical outcomes.
Advantages over traditional laparoscopic surgical techniques:
- surgery field appears 3-dimensional instead of flat
- virtual stillness (greater accuracy and steadiness than any human hand)
- surgeon doesn’t have to compensate for “mirror image"
- system performs more than 1,000 safety checks per second
|
 | | This comparison with a dime shows the tiny size of the robot's surgical instruments. |
|
Patient care advantages:- less post-operative pain
- less blood loss
- less risk of infection
- quicker recovery and return to normal activities
- shorter hospital stay
- small incisions for minimal scarring
|
|
|
|
