Robotic Surgery Proves Best For Heavier Women

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 06 Apr 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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On average, one hundred women a day - every day - are diagnosed with uterine cancer.* It's the most common type of gynecologic cancer in the United States. Many of these women will need to undergo surgery to treat their cancer - and now a new study suggests a woman's body type may be a factor in the type of surgery she receives.

After being diagnosed with uterine caner, Joann Spragg immediately thought of the other people in her life. The cancer was frightening enough, but what kind of toll would her treatment take on her job, her husband and three kids?

"My very first thought was, 'When am I going to have time for cancer, when am I going to have time to take care of everything and take care of my family,'" says Joann.

In the past, Joann might be facing a hysterectomy through major surgery - taking several weeks - or months to recover. Then there were possible issues with the incision itself.

"With the large midline laparotomy wound, a fair number of patients can get a significant wound infection," says Dr. Jeffrey Fowler, MD with Ohio State University's James Cancer Hospital.

So Joann decided to get surgery with the help of robotics. With only small incisions and the use of tiny robotic hands, Joann had a hysterectomy and was home the next day.

In fact, a new study lead by Dr. Fowler proves how effective robotics can be in surgery. Compared to laparoscopic surgery, women lost 2-and-a-half times less blood with robotics, they were 6 times less likely to need transfusions and their hospital stay was cut in half.**

In some ways, though, Joann was the ideal patient - she's young, active and in very good shape. That's not always the case - but with robotically assisted surgery, that didn't matter.

"The problem is that many of our patients are heavier - and that's the group of patients that really benefit the most from the minimally invasive procedure, in terms of decrease of surgical complications," says Dr. Fowler.

Dr. Fowler says even women who were considered obese did extremely well with robotic surgery. That's important because they're often the patients who fare the worst in traditional surgery.

*Detailed Guide: Uterine Sarcoma - What Are the Key Statistics About Uterine Sarcoma?, American Center Society

**Minimally invasive comprehensive surgical staging for endometrial cancer: Robotics or laparoscopy?,
Gynecologic Oncology, published online and presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, February 2009

Source
Ohio State University Medical Center