Any patient who is preparing to undergo surgery is likely to be nervous and have many questions. Here at South Lake OB/GYN and Advanced Surgery in Clermont, Florida, we pride ourselves on being available to answer all of your questions. If surgery is a necessity for you, we want to make sure you are as prepared as possible for your procedure.
It’s natural to be nervous, but our doctors, surgeons, and medical staff will do all they can to ease your mind and assure you that you are in capable and trusted hands.
Now, thanks to recent advances, we have a new, state-of-the-art surgical option for certain gynecological procedures — robotic surgery. With robotic surgery, we can work with the small incisions of laparoscopic surgery while still being able to do the kind of precise movements that were previously only possible with an entirely open surgical procedure.
While not every surgery can be done with the assistance of robotics, there are many that can. Examples in gynecology include certain types of hysterectomy, the removal of benign tumors, surgery on certain gynecological cancers, pelvic prolapse and some surgeries for endometriosis. Robotic surgery in gynecology has been FDA-approved since 2005, and we are pleased to be able to offer it as an option for some of our patients.
With robotic surgery, an actual human surgeon is always in total control. The robotic technology is simply another tool — in this case, a very advanced tool capable of small, precise, delicate movements. This decreases the need for large incisions, so this kind of surgery is considered “minimally-invasive,” which means less pre- and post-operative care for our patients. It also means less scarring, less pain and less risk of infection.
If robotic surgery is an option for you, your medical team here at South Lake will make sure that you know everything there is to know about the procedure you will undergo
The basics of robotic surgery are actually very simple. A small incision is made at the surgical site on your body, and a camera is inserted. This allows the surgeon to see inside your body while he or she is controlling the robotic arms. Those arms are the surgeons’ tools, and they are controlled by both a computer and the actual gestures and movements of your surgeon. So you are literally always in your surgeon’s hands and under their watchful eye, all without having to endure a large incision or the potential trauma of open surgery. That means a quicker recovery for you — with minimal pain, discomfort, or special post-operative care.
Robotic surgery isn’t available or recommended for every gynecological problem that may require surgery. But if it is an option for you, we will discuss all the details, so you can decide if it’s a choice you want to make. If you have any questions about robotic surgery or any other concerns about gynecology or obstetrics, call our Clermont office today or make an appointment for a consultation or office visit.