When women first hear about possibly having a hysterectomy, they probably think about the amount of time they will be down after the surgery and the pain associated with the surgery.  Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital is making the experience a little easier with da Vinci Robotic Surgical System.  Hospital stays are generally 2 to 3 days, and recovery times are now measured in days rather than the usual weeks required with traditional surgery.  By using the da Vinci Surgical System, there will be less pain, less scarring, and significantly less recovery time.  The da Vinci system enables surgeons to perform complex gynecologic operations through just a few tiny incisions, which leads to less blood loss and quicker healing.

The da Vinci Surgical System is designed to provide surgeons with enhanced capabilities, including high definition 3D vision and a magnified view.  Your doctor controls the da Vinci System, which translates his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside your body.  Though it is often called a “robot”, da Vinci cannot act on its own.  Instead, the surgery is performed entirely by your doctor.  Together, da Vinci technology allows your doctor to perform complex procedures through just a few tiny openings.  As a result, you may be able to get back to life faster without the usual recovery following major surgery.

At Christus Cabrini Women’s & Children’s Hospital, there are four surgeons that are trained using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System to perform gynecologic surgeries.  They are Dr. James Gates, Dr. Barry Bieber, Dr. Edan Moran and Dr. Karie LaFleur.  For most women, da Vinci hysterectomy offers numerous potential benefits over traditional surgical approaches, including:

• Significantly less pain
• Less blood loss and need for transfusion
• Less risk of infection
• Shorter hospital stay
• Quicker recovery and return to normal activity
• Small incisions for minimal scarring
• Better outcomes and patient satisfaction, in many cases.

To give patients a better idea of how the da Vinci Surgical System works, Christus Cabrini Women’s & Children’s Hospital is hosting a Women’s Health Seminar, “Home for the Holidays,” a da Vinci Surgery educational featuring da Vinci Hysterectomy Surgeons Dr. James Gates, Dr. Barry Bieber, Dr. Edan Moran and Dr. Karie LaFleur on Saturday, October 30th at 10:00am in the atrium of the Women’s & Children’s Hospital.  Also during the event, the da Vinci robot will be on display for a “test drive”, allowing patients to see how the system operates and could save them pain and downtime.

For more information or to register for the “Home for the Holidays” educational seminar, please visit www.cabrini.org.