Women's Health

Myomectomy

A myomectomy surgically removes fibroid tumors while leaving the uterus in place. Women with fibroids may be offered a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or myomectomy. A woman who wants to have children or keep her uterus for other reasons may choose to have a myomectomy instead of a hysterectomy.

Myomectomy is often done using traditional open surgery – meaning it is performed through a large incision in the lower abdomen. After removing all fibroids, the surgeon must carefully repair the uterine wall to minimize bleeding, infection and scarring. Proper repair of the uterine wall is also critical in preventing the uterus from tearing or rupturing during pregnancy.

Myomectomy can also be performed minimally invasively with small incisions using laparoscopic surgery, but this approach can be challenging due to the long-handled rigid instruments used during surgery.

Fortunately, there is a minimally invasive option for treating gynecologic conditions designed to overcome the limitations of traditional open and laparoscopic surgery – da Vinci Surgery.

If your doctor recommends surgery to treat fibroids, you may be a candidate for da Vinci Surgery. Using state-of-the-art technology, da Vinci® Surgery requires only a few tiny incisions, so you can get back to your life faster. da Vinci allows your doctor to perform a remarkably precise reconstruction of the uterine wall - critical in preventing the uterus from rupturing (tearing) during future pregnancies.

If you have been putting off treatment for a gynecologic condition, it's time to ask your doctor about da Vinci Surgery.

da Vinci® Surgery for Fibroid Tumors

The da Vinci System enables your doctor to perform a myomectomy with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control. da Vinci offers many potential benefits over traditional open surgery, including:

• Significatnly less pain¹
• Less blood loss and fewer transfusions^2,3
• Minimally invasive option for removing large, numerous, hard-to-reach fibroids⁴
• Fewer complications and risk of infection^1,2
• Shorter hospital stay^1,2
• Faster recovery and return to normal activities¹
• Small, dime-sized incisions for improved cosmetic results

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As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is both patient- and procedure-specific. While myomectomy performed using the da Vinci ^® Surgical System is considered safe and effective, this procedure may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.

1. Piquion-Joseph JM, Navar A, Ghazaryan A, Papanna R, Klimek W, Laroia R. Robot-assisted gynecological surgery in a community setting. Journal of Robotic Surgery, 2009:1-4.
   
2. Advincula AP, Xu X, Goudeau S, Ransom SB. Robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy versus abdominal myomectomy: A comparison of short-term surgical outcomes and immediate costs. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, 2007.
   
3. Ascher-Walsh CJ, Capes TL. Robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy is an improvement over laparotomy in women with a limited number of myomas. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2010 May Jun; 17(3):306-10. Epub 2010 Mar 19.
4. Advincula AP, Song A, Burke W, Reynolds RK. Preliminary experience with robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy. Journal of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, 2004;11(4):511–518.

While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the da Vinci ^® System when used in minimally invasive surgery, individual results may vary. Surgery with the da Vinci ^® Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.

Content provided by Intuitive Surgical. For more information, please visit www.davincisurgery.com

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