From an interview with
Dr. Jenna MacLennan
McLeod OB/GYN Associates

Women have benefited from the many advances in GYN surgery technology and techniques in recent years. McLeod OB/GYN Dr. Jenna MacLennan describes range of improvements in treating female problems.

Here are highlights of Dr. MacLennan’s remarks, plus comments on robotic-assisted surgery:
Advancements in GYN surgery have really come to include many surgeries performed in a minimally-invasive way. When we talk about a traditional open procedure, it generally involves a large incision. Minimally-invasive procedures generally are much smaller incisions in your belly.

It’s also about the length of hospital stay for the patient. It tends to be much shorter; the amount of pain is less; the recovery time tends to be shorter. In general, there are fewer complications.

The main procedure that can be done minimally invasively is hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus and cervix. Sometimes that also includes the fallopian tubes and the ovaries. Traditionally, this was done through large incisions and, now, through the smaller minimally invasive incisions and, occasionally we can completely remove the uterus from the body with no incision at all.

We also use minimally invasive techniques to do surgeries for removal of the fallopian tubes, ovaries, cysts or tumors on the ovaries and surgeries for endometriosis.

Robotic-assisted surgery is a form of minimally-invasive surgery, in which we use surgical technology to aid us in the procedure. It’s basically a device which we use to assist us in being able to see better, because the optics are wonderful on it.  Also, we’re able to grasp at very small structures in the body that we wouldn’t normally be able to with traditional laparoscopy or traditional camera-assisted surgery.

Benefits of robotic-assisted surgery for the patient include a shorter hospital stay when you compare it to an open surgery, patients that get minimally-invasive surgery tend to stay at least one night shorter in the hospital. They tend to recover more quickly and are up on their feet more quickly, have less downtime, less time away from work. Complications are much less. They have lighter blood loss during surgery. They have less of an issue with damage to surrounding structures and they tend to bounce back a lot quicker than patients, who do not have minimally-invasive surgery.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE
If you are suffering from incontinence, endometriosis or pelvic pain of some type, see your OB/GYN.

Find a Gynecologist near you.