High-tech Gyn Procedures Get You Feeling Better… Faster!
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dec. 1, 2007) - If you're living with a troublesome gynecological condition because you dread the pain and recovery time of surgery to fix it, think again. The latest medical techniques and technology can have you feeling better and like yourself again faster than ever before.
An example is heavy periods, experienced by one in five women. Heavy or long periods disrupt the lives of 7 million women in the United States each year, yet only 2.5 million seek treatment.
A procedure that can be done in the doctor's office, with local anesthetic and only one day off work, can help in many cases. It's called endometrial ablation. There are several types of ablation, but one of the newest with the shortest treatment time is by NovaSure®, in which a slender hand-held wand is used to deliver electrical energy to remove the endometrial lining of the uterus in 90 seconds. A woman should not consider this procedure unless she is done with childbearing.
Dr. Jodi Scott, gynecologist with the Avera Women's Specialty Clinics, said heavy periods can be gauged by going through a pad or tampon in an hour, and/or periods that last more than seven days. Also, the patient's perception of heavy bleeding is an important factor. "These women might have to miss work because of their period, or have to get up during the night to change their protection. If you have to plan your day around your period, or be careful what you do, you may have heavy bleeding."
Women may not realize how heavy their flow is compared to normal, Dr. Scott said. Some get to the point of becoming anemic due to blood loss, chalking their fatigue up to the demands of work and family.
Other treatments for heavy periods include medications, a progesterone IUD or hysterectomy. Endometrial ablation may be an alternative to surgery for some women. While it doesn't eliminate bleeding altogether, the goal is to bring bleeding into a normal range, Dr. Scott said. Over 90 percent of patients report being satisfied a year after their NovaSure® procedure.
Michelle Thranum of Tea, S.D., opted for NovaSure® endometrial ablation to solve heavy bleeding caused by a fibroid. "I had the option to go this way or have a hysterectomy. It went wonderfully, with no problems." Thranum, who works full time and is a mother of 2, found it to be an easier solution, with less out-of-pocket cost than surgery.
There are cases in which hysterectomy is a must. But thanks to state-of-the-art robotics technology, hysterectomies and other gynecological surgeries are easier to go through. The most advanced platform available in robotics technology is the da Vinci® S HD Surgical System, which integrates three-dimensional, high-definition video and robotic technology to virtually extend the surgeon's eyes and hands.
"There are clear patient benefits with robotics," said Dr. Luis Rojas, gynecological oncologist and surgeon who performs robotics surgery at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center. Among them are shorter recovery time, less blood loss, less risk of infection, less pain, less scarring and a shorter length of stay in the hospital. The surgeon controls robotic arms, which hold a camera and miniaturized surgical instruments. These are inserted into the abdomen through small, 1-2 cm incisions. The surgeon can see an enhanced view of the site in high-definition 3-D images with real depth perception, moving the instruments with finger-holds.
Average length of stay for a conventional hysterectomy is five days, with four to six weeks recovery time at home. With a robotics hysterectomy, women are staying in the hospital overnight, and going back to work within a week or two, Dr. Rojas said.
Robotics equipment doesn't replace human surgeons - rather it enhances their ability to perform complex minimally-invasive surgery. "The precision of the technology translates into less trauma for the patient, and a better recovery," he said.
