A surgical team at Parkridge East Hospital recently performed Chattanooga’s first single-site robotic hysterectomy, a less invasive treatment option that produces minimal scarring.
"This procedure offers an excellent cosmetic outcome following gynecologic surgery, and we are very excited to be able to offer it to our patients," said Jared Bement, executive director of surgical services for Parkridge Health System. “Compared with traditional hysterectomy, single-site procedures offer patients less scarring, less post-operative pain and a shorter recovery time.”
Hysterectomy removes a woman’s uterus and is the second most common surgery for women in America, with approximately one-third of all women undergoing the operation by the age of 60. Hysterectomy is often recommended to treat serious and sometimes painful conditions such as endometriosis, excessive menstrual bleeding or uterine fibroids.
In a traditional open hysterectomy, physicians perform the procedure through a five to seven inch incision in the woman’s abdomen. This type of surgery leaves a noticeable scar and usually requires approximately one to two months of recovery time. Laparoscopic hysterectomies can be performed using multiple smaller - but still readily visible - incisions. However, the da Vinci robotic-assisted single-site surgery is less invasive and allows women to return to their regular activities more quickly.
During the single-site hysterectomy, a surgeon makes a single one-inch incision in the navel. The surgeon controls the surgical instruments from a console in the operating room, which displays a three-dimensional high-definition image of the patient’s anatomy. The system translates a surgeon’s hand, wrist and finger movements into more precise movements of the miniaturized instruments inside the patient.
The benefits of a single-site hysterectomy include:
· Less pain
· Reduced trauma to body
· Minimal scarring
· Short hospital stay (usually about 24 hours)
· Reduced blood loss and need for transfusion
· Quicker recovery and return to normal activities
“We are pleased to be able to offer this new technology to women in the greater Chattanooga area,” said Ronnie Hall, associate chief nursing officer for Parkridge East Hospital. “As the first facility to offer this procedure, we are proud to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to excellent patient care and the most advanced, minimally-invasive surgical options available.”