Most women experience symptoms related to pelvic health issues at some point in their lifetime – from urinary incontinence (overactive bladder and urine leakage), uterine fibroids, and endometriosis to chronic pelvic pain. Treatments can range from simple exercises, medication, or physical therapy to non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures.

When lifestyle modifications, medication and other conservative approaches such as pelvic floor therapy are no longer effective treatments for a woman’s gynecologic condition, surgery may be the best solution.

The idea of gynecologic surgery can cause mixed emotions – relief that a potential cure has been found as well as anxiety over what to expect. However, surgical advancements have led to more patient-friendly approaches for appropriate candidates. While many gynecological surgeries can be performed with traditional open surgery, involving larger incisions, or minimally invasive surgery with several small incisions, robotic-assisted gynecologic surgery is another, newer minimally invasive option for women to consider.

Robotic-assisted surgery is an alternative to traditional open surgery and is performed through a few small incisions. It has all of the advantages of minimally invasive surgery, including less postoperative pain, smaller incisions, minimal scarring, shorter hospital stay, faster recovery time, and a quicker return to normal activities.

Additional advantages for the surgeon that lead to benefits for the patient include:

• The robotic instruments are designed to reach the exact angle to stop a blood vessel’s bleeding.
• All the robot’s movements are very smooth and precise, minimizing damage to surrounding tissue and organs.
• Overall, there’s less blood loss and damage to surrounding tissue as well as a lower risk of infection compared to open procedures.

Robotic-assisted surgery can be used for a wide range of both complex and common gynecological procedures, including but not limited to hysterectomy, laparoscopy, and pelvic floor repair.

At McLeod, robotic-assisted surgery is a team approach with a designated team of operating room staff specially trained to work with each surgeon and surgical specialty. The robotic-assisted surgical team consists of a physician assistant, operating room nurses, and surgical technologists in addition to the surgeon.

It is important to remember that robotic-assisted surgery is not for everyone, so talk with your doctor to see if this is the right surgical option for you.