Improving Women’s Health with da Vinci

A new robotic tool is allowing surgeons at University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital to expand the use of minimally invasive techniques to more women. Kristine Zanotti, MD, gynecologic oncologist and director of Robotic Surgery at University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, is working hard to provide more women with the option of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System.

The da Vinci is a sophisticated robotic system specifically designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. It offers patients less scarring, lower risk of infection, shorter hospital stays, significantly less postoperative pain and quicker recovery and return to normal activities.

The system enables surgeons, like Dr. Zanotti, to perform delicate and complex gynecologic surgeries with high-definition, 3-D visualization and an innovative wristlike instrument allowing for greater surgical precision and control. One surgeon directs the instrument’s movement from a console using controllers, while another surgeon works at the patient’s side.

The da Vinci came to UH in March, and since its arrival Dr. Zanotti has performed a dozen surgeries without complications. UH currently has five doctors trained to use the technology and more are being trained.

Enhancing Gynecologic Surgery

The system is particularly useful for doctors performing hysterectomies since it greatly increases their ability to see. This is especially useful for surgeries on obese patients, and those with early-stage gynecologic cancer. “Using the da Vinci to perform a hysterectomy allows for more precise surgery and I can see 10 times better than I would otherwise,” says Dr. Zanotti. “Using the da Vinci to perform minimally invasive surgery on appropriate candidates greatly increases a patient’s chance of a full recovery.”

Hysterectomies are the most common surgery among women, with approximately 650,000 performed annually in the United States. The surgery is performed for a variety of conditions including excessive bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, cancer and precancer. Sixty-five percent of hysterectomies are still performed using an open incision.

“Open surgery can cause greater pain, physical trauma and, in some cases, a longer recovery process than minimally invasive surgery,” says Dr. Zanotti. “The da Vinci robot enables me to perform complex operations through a few tiny incisions, dramatically decreasing the patient’s discomfort and recovery process.”

Consider da Vinci

Not all women who need a hysterectomy are candidates for the da Vinci system. However, for those patients who do qualify, the minimally invasive surgical approach offers great advantages over the traditional hysterectomy. In most cases, the patients return to their daily routines the day after surgery, with little or no postsurgery pain.

“It is important for women to be aware of da Vinci so they can assess their treatment options and choose one that’s best aligned with their daily life,” says Dr. Zanotti. “Having surgery can be stressful, but a da Vinci surgery has the ability to take the stress away, getting the patient back to enjoying life without worrying about complications.”