Gynecological robotic surgeries are currently available at Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge and at Ochsner Medical Center located on Jefferson Highway. At Ochsner Baton Rouge, about 98 percent of all GYN surgeries are done laparoscopically.
Ochsner’s robotic surgery system is used for hysterectomies, removal of fibroids, correction of vaginal prolapse, pelvic reconstructive surgery and reversal of tubal ligation. Young women with severe endometriosis are also candidates for this technology. In addition, older women are candidates for procedures to correct urinary leakage, incontinence, and bladder suspensions.
At the present time, only 5 percent of hospitals in the country are performing these surgeries robotically. As one of several robotic-surgery training sites worldwide, Ochsner is teaching the rest of the world how it’s done.
Why is da Vinci® Surgery important to women?
Traditional open gynecologic surgery, using a large incision for access to the uterus and surrounding anatomy, has for many years been the standard approach to many gynecologic procedures. However, open surgery can cause significant pain, physical trauma and a long recovery process. For women facing gynecologic surgery, the period of pain, discomfort and extended time away from normal daily activities that usually follows traditional surgery can also cause significant anxiety. Alternately, the da Vinci surgical system enables Ochsner surgeons to access the operative area through just a few tiny incisions, thereby minimizing the need to perform traditional abdominal (open) surgery, allowing a shorter hospital stay and much quicker recovery time.
In the United States, the hysterectomy is the most common of female surgeries, with roughly 650,000 performed annually. It is performed for a variety of conditions, including excessive bleeding, fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, cancer and pre-cancer. Currently, the majority of hysterectomies (65-70%) are still performed via open incision.
Similarly, there are roughly 50,000 myomectomy (fibroid removal) procedures performed annually in the United States, the vast majority of which are performed via a large open incision. It is also estimated that more than 70,000 procedures are performed in the U.S. annually to treat severe uterine prolapse or vaginal vault prolapse, the vast majority of which are surgically corrected through an open incision.
Robotic Surgery at Ochsner represents a significant advance in gynecological care and treatment for these patients allowing Ochsner surgeons the ability to offer the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to a broader range of patients.
Potential patient benefits include:
- Shorter hospital stay (one day in most cases versus 3-5)
- Significantly less pain post-operatively (often only over-the-counter pain meds required)
- Quicker recovery and return to normal activities (1-2 weeks versus 6-8 weeks)
- Fewer complications & less risk of infection
- Less scarring: Small, dime-sized incisions versus 6-8 inch scar
da Vinci Surgery may be the most effective and the least invasive option for many gynecologic conditions requiring surgery.
Scheduling an Appointment
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a condition that may require surgery, we urge you to learn about all of your treatment options, including the breakthrough approaches to minimally invasive surgery at Ochsner. For more information or to make an appointment, call our New Orleans office at 504-842-7874 or our Baton Rouge office at 225-761-LADY.
For out-of-town guests, accommodations are available at the Brent House Hotel which is conveniently located on Ochsner Medical Center’s Jefferson Highway campus. For more information, or to make an online reservation, click here. For reservations by phone, please call 800-535-3986.
da Vinci is a registered trademark of Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
