Gynecological surgeons can now treat a range of gynecological conditions — from chronic pelvic pain to abnormal bleeding — minimally invasively at the SSM Robotic Surgery Institute at DePaul Health Center. A da Vinci Surgical System-assisted procedure requires only a few small incisions, and offers numerous benefits over traditional open gynecolologic surgeries that require a large incision in the abdomen.
Hysterectomy
Hysterectomy is the most common female surgery. In fact, one in three women in the United States will have a hysterectomy before she turns 60. It’s a procedure related to many conditions — excessive bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, cancer and pre-cancer. Hysterectomy is also a procedure that, until now, had little alternative to conventional surgery.
The standard approach to gynecologic surgery is the use of a large incision (and its resulting scar) to access the uterus and surrounding anatomy. A da Vinci hysterectomy is a significant advance, making realistically possible:
- Single-day hospital stays (rather than three to five days hospitalization)
- Use of only over-the-counter meds for post-op pain relief
- Up to eight times quicker recovery and return to normal life activities (as little as one week compared to as much as eight)
- A cosmetically pleasing dime-sized incision rather than a half-foot or longer scar
Gynecological surgeons with the SSM Robotic Surgery Institute are among a handful of specialists nationwide to perform minimally invasive hysterectomies with the da Vinci Surgical System. Robotic-assisted hysterectomy surgery reduces the pain, recovery and scarring associated with the procedure.
If you are diagnosed with a condition that requires hysterectomy, talk with your doctor about the benefits of robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. Only you and your doctor can decide whether this procedure may be right for you.
Learn more
The following gynecologists perform robotic-assisted surgery at the SSM Robotic Surgery Institute at DePaul Health Center:
Anne Piche-Radley, M.D.
Caroline Werner, M.D.
For a referral to these physicians, please call 1-866-SSM-DOCS (776-3627).