Piedmont Fayette Hospital is now providing surgeons with the most advanced da Vinci Surgical System available, enabling them to perform minimally invasive robotic surgery. The dual-console system allows up to two surgeons to perform complex procedures using an approach that may result in less scarring and faster recovery times for patients.
Many surgical procedures performed today using standard techniques may be performed more quickly and easily using the da Vinci Surgical System, which enables surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery employing dime-sized incisions rather than the 6- to 12-inch incisions common in traditional surgery. The surgeons operate by manipulating the robot’s four arms and viewing the procedure through a high-resolution camera inside the patient. Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s dual-console da Vinci system provides the additional benefit of physician training or simply placing the talent of two surgeons at the controls at once.
Cari Croft of Gay, Ga. was the hospital’s first women’s daVinci patient on January 28. Her previous experience with a similar laparoscopic procedure gives her a unique perspective on the new robotic method.
“Within 7 to 9 days, I was walking around and able to take care of myself as opposed to the 3 weeks or so it took to feel normal with my prior laparoscopic procedure,” said Croft. “By week 4 of my da Vinci surgery I was feeling fabulous.”
“Bringing the da Vinci surgical system to Piedmont Fayette Hospital increases the care options available to patients in the Fayette and surrounding communities,” said Darrell Cutts, president and CEO of Piedmont Fayette Hospital. “Locating it at our hospital makes Fayetteville more attractive to the world-class physicians who have been trained on the equipment and prefer to care for patients in areas where it is available.”
In April 2005, the FDA cleared da Vinci surgery for gynecologic applications and since then has seen significant adoption among surgeons. The most common female surgery is hysterectomy, with one in three women in the U.S. undergoing one before the age of 60. The procedure is performed for a variety of conditions including excessive bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, cancer and pre-cancer.
“In the United States, 60% of hysterectomies are performed through the abdominal incision,” said Elizabeth W. Killebrew, M.D., an OB/GYN and da Vinci surgeon at Piedmont Fayette Hospital. “But with da Vinci technology, we can now offer an alternative to the large incisions and extended recovery periods. Women can get back to their life faster – within days rather than the usual weeks required with traditional surgery.”
da Vinci Surgery offers numerous potential benefits over traditional open surgery, including:
• Significantly less pain
• Less blood loss and need for transfusion
• Fewer complications
• Shorter hospital stay
• Quicker recovery and return to normal activities
• Small incisions for minimal scarring
For Croft, the new technology was a secondary factor when choosing where to go for her care.
“The da Vinci has a certain ‘cool’ factor to it and it’s a wonderful option to have,” said Croft. “However, I have complete trust in Dr. Killebrew and that for me will always be more important than the technology.”
By enhancing surgical capabilities, the da Vinci Surgical System helps to improve clinical outcomes and redefine standards of care.
For more information about Piedmont Fayette Hospital visit fayettehospital.org.
