| Learn More About Robotic Assisted Surgery at Upcoming Seminar
Robots an Emerging Tool for
Women’s Surgery
Tri-City Voice, July 8, 2009
Robots are not a new
phenomenon. We find them in
manufacturing, and nearly everyone is
aware of their role in outer space
exploration and experimentation. What
few people realize is that robots are
rapidly emerging as a way to assist
surgeons in the hospital operating room
while contributing to better results for
patients.
Robots are now capable of serving
as an extension of the surgeon’s hands
in performing many cardiovascular,
thoracic, urologic and general surgical
procedures. The technology provides all
the advantages of traditional open
surgery coupled with the benefits of
robotic precision, flexibility and
control. The robot is literally an
extension of the surgeon’s hands,
fingers, manipulations and movements.
As an added benefit, surgery is
done through small incisions – or
minimally invasively – so there’s less
blood loss, risk of infection, pain and
scarring. For patients, hospital stays
are shorter and recovery, including a
return to normal activities, is faster.
Now, gynecology is another field of
surgery for which the robot’s benefits
are becoming increasingly evident.
For years, Washington Hospital’s
surgical department has housed the da
Vinci robot manufactured by
Sunnyvale-based Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
The hospital’s surgeons have utilized
the robot as a tool, mainly for
prostate, gall bladder and colon
surgeries, with excellent results. Now,
a local gynecologist is recognizing the
potential benefits of robotic-assisted
surgery for her patients.
"Currently, I use the minimally
invasive laparoscopic approach for more
than 90 percent of the hysterectomies I
perform," reports Stacey Barrie, M.D., a
local obstetrician and gynecologist on
the Washington Hospital Medical Staff.
"Now that I’m beginning to utilize the
robot, I can see its effectiveness,
especially for complicated procedures in
hard-to-reach areas of the human body.
In the future, robotics will play a role
in about 50 percent of the
hysterectomies I perform."
The robot includes a tiny camera
and two robotic arms. To do a
hysterectomy, or surgical removal of the
uterus, the surgeon inserts the camera
and arms into the woman’s abdomen
through tiny incisions that total no
more then 1.5 inches in length.
"I sit at a console and, with the
help of a video monitor and remote
instrumentation, I have complete control
in guiding the robot during surgery,"
says Dr. Barrie. "The 3-D camera allows
me increased visualization inside the
patient’s body, and the robotic arms are
so precise and flexible that they move
in ways that aren’t possible with manual
surgical tools. I can guide the robot’s
arms to go around corners and tie knots
with remarkable ease."
Better visualization also aids
the surgeon because she has a finer view
of each individual blood vessel and can
identify bleeding during surgery and
stop it quickly and efficiently.
Therefore, the amount of blood lost
during minimally invasive robotic
gynecologic procedures is significantly
less than with the traditional open
approach.
The surgeon also realizes
ergonomic benefits from robotic
procedures. She sits at the console in a
natural posture with shoulders relaxed.
There is no need to go through some of
the physical contortions that are often
required during open gynecologic
surgery.
"With robotic-assisted surgery,
what pleases me and my patients most is
the quality of their recovery," adds Dr.
Barrie. "They are usually up and moving
around within four hours after surgery,
and they can return to work in two
weeks. This is especially meaningful
during today’s poor economy when people
want to stay productive and avoid being
away from work too long."
Dr. Barrie sees the robot as a
godsend for patients and physicians, but
she cautions that it is not a cure-all
for every type of gynecologic ailment.
"It’s not right for every type of
hysterectomy or complicated surgeries
such as removal of a tumor that is
encroaching on major blood vessels," she
explains. "But, for many of my patients
who need surgery, it is the ideal
technology."
Learn More About Robotic Assisted
Surgery Dr. Barrie will talk about robotic
surgery at a Washington Hospital Health
and Wellness seminar on Thursday, July
16. The free class will take place from
6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Conrad E.
Anderson, M.D. Auditoriums located at
2500 Mowry Avenue (Washington West) in
Fremont. Call (800) 963-7070 to
register. |
