Dr. Timothy A. Leach, an OB/GYN serving the Walnut Creek, CA area, is highly trained in Minimally Invasive Surgery using the DaVinci Robot. This type of surgery allows for faster recovery and can be used in many different procedures.
Minimally invasive surgery is any operation that uses small incisions to complete an otherwise complex operation and to reduce how much of the body’s tissues get injured. One kind of minimally invasive surgery involves the use of a “scope”, a viewing device that allows surgeons to look inside the body without opening it all the way. There are several different types of scopes, but they all work in roughly the same way. The scope is essentially a small camera that can be placed thru dime sized skin incisions to project images of internal body tissues on a TV monitor. Then other dime-size incisions allow for instruments thru the skin to perform the operation.
What are the different type of “scopes”?
Hysteroscopes are used in the uterus to perform biopsies and remove abnormal growths like polyps and fibroids. Laparoscopes allow for looking into the belly which allows for removing scar tissue, removing the uterus, operate on the ovaries, manage tubal pregnancies, cure cancer.
What is DaVinci Robotic surgery?
The DaVinci Robot allows the small scopes and surgical instruments that are “wristed” allowing for the utmost precision. The robotic instruments are then placed thru the dime size skin incisions and then controlled by the surgeon remote from the patient at a bedside cart with high definition video monitor. Same day outpatient hysterectomy and other complex gynecologic surgery is possible with the DaVinci Robot compared to conventional rigid laparoscopy.
What are the benefits of minimally invasive surgery?
Smaller incisions and less overall tissue injury allow for outpatient same day surgery or even only one night stay in the hospital after a hysterectomy. Patients go home in less than 24 hours on pain meds by mouth, ambulate independently, and are back to normal activities within one week. You are safe for light exercise if you are comfortable. There is less blood loss and since patients are back to normal activities faster, complications like blood clots are very rare. The incisions are closed with a suture that dissolves on their own and skin glue over the sutures that allow for daily showers as soon as you want. All this means getting back sooner to the things you love like time with family.
Learn more about minimally invasive hysterectomy, endometriosis resection, myomectomy (for fibroid tumors), and pelvic organ prolapse repair.
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