Gynecological Procedures Using Robotic Surgery at MyMichigan Health

Conventional surgery has been the standard for most gynecological procedures because they can be too delicate and complex for laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery). But now, da Vinci robotic surgery allows women a smaller abdominal incision, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery period. Da Vinci uses small incisions closed without sutures, resulting in less pain and blood loss, usually only an overnight hospital stay, and just a few days required for healing and return to everyday activities.

da Vinci Robotic Procedures Offered

Currently, the gynecological surgeries described below can be performed robotically at MyMichigan Medical Center Midland and MyMichigan Medical Center Sault:

• Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) is typically performed because of fibroids, severe endometriosis, heavy uterine bleeding and certain gynecological cancers. In addition to the general advantages of da Vinci robotic surgery for hysterectomy, it is a good option for complex conditions, or if alternatives to hysterectomy are not addressing the problem.
• Myomectomy (surgical removal of fibroid tumors) preserves the uterus as an alternative to hysterectomy for women who want to get pregnant. Precision and control are the benefits that da Vinci surgery brings to this procedure, allowing small incisions to be used to remove uterine fibroids. In addition to the advantages described above, other potential benefits are opportunity for future pregnancy, fewer complications and less scarring.
• Sacrocolpopexy (surgical correction of vaginal or uterine prolapse¹ or falling) uses mesh to hold the vagina or uterus in the correct position. Weak muscles and connective tissues are the cause of the uterus dropping into the vagina. A lump or bulge in the vagina indicates partial prolapse. With complete prolapse, the uterus drops so far that part of the uterus is outside the body. Resulting pressure on the bladder or bowel may give rise to other symptoms.
• Unilateral/bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of an ovary together with the fallopian tube), is typically done to remove ovarian cysts or cancer or to reduce the risk of developing certain cancers. These delicate procedures benefit from the precision and control available with the da Vinci approach.
• Abdominal cerclage (permanently stitching the top of the cervix, inside the abdomen), is performed to enable a patient to avoid miscarriage. This delicate procedure benefits from the precision and control available with the da Vinci approach.
• Ovarian cystectomy (removal of a cyst from a functioning ovary) leaves the functioning ovary in place for a woman who may want to become pregnant. This delicate procedure traditionally requires a large abdominal incision, but da Vinci robotic surgery offers the benefit of visibility, precision and control with tiny incisions.

For gynecological patients, da Vinci surgery offers many benefits associated with minimally invasive procedures performed using several tiny incisions. The da Vinci approach results in:

• Better clinical outcomes, in many cases²
• Shorter hospital stay and faster recovery^2,3
• Significantly less pain²
• Tiny incisions for minimal scarring

Some content provided by Intuitive Surgical. 

As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed. Only your doctor can determine whether surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System is appropriate for your situation.

 ^{1. Uterine Prolapse; A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health. Available from: www.nim.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001508.htm}

^{2. Boggess JF. Robotic surgery in gynecologic oncology: evolution of a new surgical paradigm. J Robotic Surg (2007) 1:31-3}

^{3. Payne TN, Dauterive FR. A comparison of total laparoscopic hysterectomy to robotically assisted hysterectomy: surgical outcomes in a community practice. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2008 May-June;15(3):28}