Mercy San Juan First to Offer Single-Site Robotic Gynecologic Surgery
Mercy San Juan Medical Center is the first and only hospital in the Sacramento Valley to offer patients virtually scarless surgery for benign hysterectomies through da Vinci® Surgical System.
In January, gynecological oncologist Kevin Elliott, MD, successfully performed Sacramento Valley’s first single-site benign hysterectomy, removing the patient’s uterus through an approximate one-inch incision within her belly button. The location almost completely concealed any scarring. The procedure, dubbed single-site hysterectomy, is named because the incision can be done through one “port of entry” – the belly button, which is already a natural opening and has thin skin – as opposed to four or five openings in a typical robotic-assisted hysterectomy.
“Recent technological advances in minimally invasive surgery now allow us to accomplish hysterectomy and other complex procedures through a single one-inch incision, usually placed discretely in the belly button,” said Dr Elliott. “Like all new technologies, the procedure is not appropriate for every patient or for every situation, but we are pleased to be one of the first communities in the country able to offer this option to women.”
Dr Elliott is one of a few surgeons in California selected to offer single site gynecologic surgery by Intuitive Surgical – the maker of the da Vinci Surgical System for both benign and cancerous gynecologic conditions.
“In 2008, Dr Elliott was among the first surgeons to perform gynecologic robotic surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System,” said Brian Ivie, President and CEO at Mercy San Juan Medical Center. “Today he is the only surgeon in the Greater Sacramento Valley to perform hysterectomies and other complex procedures through a single one-inch incision and we are excited to share these technological advancements with our patients.”
da Vinci® Surgical System is a less invasive technique than traditional surgery. The da Vinci Surgical System is designed to assist surgeons in attaining a new level of precision in surgery through enhanced vision, dexterity and control. The da Vinci system features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system, computer software and special wristed instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist. Benefits to the patient include a lower rate of complications, lower rate of wound infection and a shorter hospital stay. Read more about da Vinci® Surgical System for gynecologic conditions.
Publish date:
Wednesday, May 21, 2014