Hysterectomy, or surgical removal of the uterus, is a major surgery many women face – on average, over 622,000 per year according to statistics.
It’s not a procedure anyone takes lightly and is only recommended as a last resort for a variety of conditions like endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain or cancer of the uterus, ovaries and other parts of the reproductive system.
If you must undergo a hysterectomy to address your condition, there’s fortunately highly advanced treatment options that are much easier (..on you) and safer than traditional open-incision surgery.
Single Site incision hysterectomy is actually a combination of several advancements according to this quick interview of Dr. Agrios on TV20.
Traditional hysterectomy surgery requires a fairly large 6-10 inch incision that’s cut either up and down or side-to-side. It’s a very intensive procedure with the possibility of many complications. Recovery time is long and the procedure leaves a very noticeable mark.
Robotic surgery though has developed over the years and made the procedure slightly less invasive but still required 3-5 small incisions or punctures.
Combining these robotic advancements with laparoscopic procedures has allowed surgeons like Dr. Agrios to perform the procedure using only one incision about an inch long (…the only OB/GYN surgeon in the area to do so in fact). Advancements in robotic instruments mimicking a human wrist have given surgeons much more flexibility – thus requiring only a very small incision to perform a hysterectomy.
Single Site hysterectomy though is a highly specialized procedure requiring lots of training and experience.
Visit our Gainesville women surgical care page today to learn more.