Minimally invasive da Vinci Surgery allows your doctor to operate through a few tiny incisions instead of a large open incision. Robotic-assisted da Vinci Surgery provides doctors with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control. da Vinci is routinely used to treat gynecologic conditions such as:
- Fibroid tumors
- Endometriosis
- Heavy menstrual/uterine bleeding
- Pelvic prolapse
- Certain cancers
Compared to open surgery, da Vinci Surgery offers women many potential benefits:*
- For cancer patients, the best chance of living cancer-free at two year follow-up
- Fewer complications ,
- Less blood loss2,3, ,
- Less pain and less narcotic pain medicine required
- Shorter hospital stay2,3,4,5
- Faster recovery and return to normal activities
- Tiny incisions for minimal scarring
Compared to traditional laparoscopic surgery, da Vinci Surgery provides women with the following potential benefits:*
- Fewer conversions to open surgery ,
- Less blood loss9,10,
- Fewer complications8, including major complications8
- Removal of heavier, more numerous & difficult to reach fibroids4
- Shorter operation11
- Less need for narcotic pain medicine ,
- Shorter hospital stay9,10
- Quicker recovery8
Fast Facts About Gynecologic Conditions
Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus. It is often recommended to treat fibroids, pelvic prolapse, endometriosis, heavy menstrual bleeding and certain cancers.
- Hysterectomy is the 2nd most common operation for U.S. women
- By age 60, 1 in 3 U.S. women will have a hysterectomy
- Fibroids are the #1 reason women have a hysterectomy
- da Vinci Hysterectomy is the #1 treatment choice for women facing gynecologic cancer
Myomectomy is the surgical removal of benign (non-cancerous) fibroid tumors while leaving the uterus in place. Myomectomy is an alternative to hysterectomy for women who may want to get pregnant or keep their uterus.
- Fibroids may cause mild to severe pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and infertility17
- By age 50, 20-80% of all women develop fibroids17
- Surgery is the only way to cure uterine fibroids17
Sacrocolpopexy is surgery that corrects pelvic prolapse (falling) using mesh to re-suspend the vagina or uterus into the correct position.
- Pelvic prolapse affects roughly 200,000 U.S. women
- Prolapse is more common in women who have had multiple vaginal births
- There is a 30% chance that the condition will recur after surgery
Endometriosis Resection is the surgical removal of non-cancerous lesions or tissue that has grown outside the uterus – a condition known as endometriosis.
- Endometriosis affects 6-10% of women in the U.S. (4-6 million women)
- Untreated endometriosis can lead to chronic pelvic pain and infertility
- 40-80% chance pain will recur if endometriosis is not entirely removed
I view the da Vinci Hysterectomy as a medical breakthrough that every woman facing a traditional hysterectomy should investigate. I can't imagine having a traditional hysterectomy when this is available. I only wish I would have done this sooner.
Annette B.
*Benefits are specific to the procedure referenced in the footnoted publication. While clinical studies support the use of the da Vinci® Surgical System as an effective tool for minimally invasive surgery for specific indications, individual results may vary. There are no guarantees of outcome. All surgeries involve the risk of major complications. Before you decide on surgery, discuss treatment options with your doctor. Understanding the risks of each treatment can help you make the best decision for your individual situation. Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual; it may not be applicable to your condition. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits. Only your doctor can determine whether da Vinci Surgery is appropriate for your situation. © 2012 Intuitive Surgical. All rights reserved. Intuitive, Intuitive Surgical, da Vinci, da Vinci S, da Vinci Si, Single-Site, InSite, TilePro and EndoWrist are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intuitive Surgical. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. PN 870440 Rev D 11/12
From McGill University: At two-year post-op follow-up: Lau S, Vaknin Z, Ramana-Kumar AV, Halliday D, Franco EL, Gotlieb WH. Outcomes and cost comparisons after introducing a robotics program for endometrial cancer surgery. Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Apr;119(4):717-24.
Paley PJ, Veljovich DS, Shah CA, Everett EN, Bondurant AE, Drescher CW, Peters WA 3rd. Surgical outcomes in gynecologic oncology in the era of robotics: analysis of first 1000 cases. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Jun;204(6):551.e1-9. Epub 2011 Mar 16.
Landeen LB, Bell MC, Hubert HB, Bennis LY, Knutsen-Larson SS, Seshadri-Kreaden U. Clinical and cost comparisons for hysterectomy via abdominal, standard laparoscopic, vaginal and robot-assisted approaches. S D Med. 2011 Jun;64(6):197-9, 201, 203 passim.
Barakat EE, Bedaiwy MA, Zimberg S, Nutter B, Nosseir M, Falcone T. Robotic-assisted, laparoscopic, and abdominal myomectomy: a comparison of surgical outcomes. Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Feb;117(2 Pt 1):256-65.
Geller EJ, Siddiqui NY, Wu JM, Visco AG. Short-term outcomes of robotic sacrocolpopexy compared with abdominal sacrocolpopexy. Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Dec;112(6):1201-6.
Lowe MP, Hoekstra Av, et al. A comparison of robot-assisted and traditional radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer. Journal of Robotic Surgery 2009:1-5
Nash K, Feinglass J, Zei C, Lu G, Mengesha B, Lewicky-Gaupp C, Lin A. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy versus abdominal myomectomy: a comparative analysis of surgical outcomes and costs. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2012 Feb;285(2):435-40. Epub 2011 Jul 22.
Bell MC, Torgerson J, Seshadri-Kreaden U, Suttle AW, and Hunt S. Comparison of outcomes and cost for endometrial cancer staging via traditional laparotomy, standard laparoscopy, and robotic techniques. Gynecologic Oncology III 2008:407-411.
Lim PC, Kang E, Park do H. A comparative detail analysis of the learning curve and surgical outcome for robotic hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy versus laparoscopic hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy in treatment of endometrial cancer: a case-matched controlled study of the first one hundred twenty two patients. Gynecol Oncol. 2011 Mar;120(3):413-8. Epub 2010 Dec 30.
Payne, T. N. and F. R. Dauterive. A comparison of total laparoscopic hysterectomy to robotically assisted hysterectomy: surgical outcomes in a community practice. J Minim Invasive Gynecol, 2008;15(3): 286-291.
Seror J, Yates DR, Seringe E, Vaessen C, Bitker MO, Chartier-Kastler E, Rouprêt M. Prospective comparison of short-term functional outcomes obtained after pure laparoscopic and robot-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy. World J Urol. 2011 Aug 20. [Epub ahead of print]
Bedient CE, Magrina JF, Noble BN, Kho RM. Comparison of robotic and laparoscopic myomectomy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Dec;201(6):566.e1-5. Epub 2009 Aug 15.
Shashoua AR, Gill D, Locher SR. Robotic-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy versus conventional total laparoscopic hysterectomy. JSLS. 2009 Jul-Sep;13(3):364-9.
Martino MA, Shubella J, Thomas MB, Morcrette RM, Schindler J, Williams S, Boulay R. A cost analysis of postoperative management in endometrial cancer patients treated by robotics versus laparoscopic approach. Gynecol Oncol. 2011 Dec;123(3):528-31. Epub 2011 Oct 2.
WomensHealth.gov “Hysterectomy fact sheet”. Available from: http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/hysterectomy.cfm
National Institutes of Health. “Hysterectomy”. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hysterectomy.html
Uterine Fibroids. WomensHealth.gov – The Federal Government Source for Women’s Health Information. Available from: http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/uterine-fibroids.cfmAvailable from: http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/uterine-fibroids.cfm
Since da Vinci Hysterectomy procedure numbers grow rapidly, Intuitive Surgical does market share on an instantaneous (i.e. quarterly) basis. In 1Q12, there were 9,295 da Vinci Hysterectomy cancer procedures in the US. Assuming cancer has no seasonality, which is the case, there are ~13,750 cases per quarter (55,000 / 4). 9295/13750 = 68%
Boyles SH, Weber AM, Meyn L. Procedures for pelvic organ prolapse in the United States, 1979-1997. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003 Jan;188(1):108-15
Uterine Prolapse. National Institutes of Health. Available from: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001508.htm
Geller EJ, Siddiqui NY, Wu JM, Visco AG. Short-term outcomes of robotic sacrocolpopexy compared with abdominal sacrocolpopexy. Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Dec;112(6):1201-6.
National Institutes of Health. “Endometriosis”. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000915.htm
Endometriosis. National Institutes of Health. Available from: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000915.htm
American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Endometriosis: A Guide for Patients; 2007. Available from: http://www.asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/Resources/Patient_Resources/Fact_Sheets_and_Info_Booklets/endometriosis.pdf.