Gynecological surgery with da Vinci® technology

Ute Jackson came to Baptist Medical Center Beaches last spring for the removal of both of her ovaries and fallopian tubes. Her gynecologist, Kathryn F. Bing, MD, of North Florida OB/GYN Associates, wanted to perform the minimally invasive surgery using the da Vinci® Surgical System.

A health care professional herself, Ute discussed the surgery in advance with her doctor.

“I have had laparoscopic gallbladder surgery before, which is the traditional way of doing it, but the operation using the da Vinci was probably the easiest surgery I’ve ever had.”

“I wasn’t in much pain afterwards,” Ute said. “It just felt like I’d gone to the gym and done a lot of sit-ups. I needed very little pain medication.”

This proven technology allows Baptist surgeons to perform complex surgeries with greater precision and safety than an invasive approach. The system is controlled by the surgeon from a console and is being used more frequently in the U.S. for gynecological procedures.

Dr. Bing is a strong advocate of the minimally invasive approach. “The da Vinci system is more efficient, and it gives us much better visualization,” she said. “We have 10 times the magnification, and a three-dimensional view inside the pelvis. The instruments manipulate in the same manner as the human wrist. The benefit to the patient is that you can take a cantaloupe-sized uterus out through a half-inch incision."

“Instead of a patient staying in the hospital for three days and being out of work for six weeks, she’s out in one day and back to work in two weeks.”

“There’s less reliance upon pain medicine and greatly reduced risk of infections and complications.”

Dr. Bing said, “We’re able to perform more difficult surgeries now than we would with an open abdominal incision. It’s definitely the future of gynecological surgery.”

For Ute and other patients at Baptist Beaches, that future is now.