daVinci® at Lancaster General:
Offering more options for prostate, gynocological treatments
There was a time when a hysterectomy meant a woman faced 4-6 weeks of recovery. Not long ago, men required a similar amount of time to recover from prostate cancer surgery.
For most patients today, minimally invasive procedures are offered that can cut recovery time in half, as well as offer other long-term benefits.
And now, Lancaster General surgeons have another tool to assist with some of those minimally invasive procedures: the daVinci® Surgical System.
“The daVinci gives both the surgeon and the patient a different option on how to treat certain conditions that require surgical intervention, such as prostate cancer or gynecologic surgery,” says Stacey Youcis, Vice President of Operations at Lancaster General.
The daVinci is actually a robot-assisted device that allows surgeons to get a three-dimensional look at the surgical area, and is designed to eliminate tremors. The surgeon controls all movements and incisions during a laproscopic surgical procedure. Lancaster General purchased the four-armed daVinci, a recent upgrade from the three-armed model that gives the surgeon enhanced flexibility and control.
The daVinci Surgical System has a successful track record in safety and outcomes. Once the technology of the daVinci Surgical System reached outcomes comparable to existing surgical procedures, Lancaster General added it to its surgeons’ arsenal.
“The results have been at least equivalent to those of open surgery,” says David Svetec, MD of the Lancaster Urological Group, who along with Mark Jarowenko, MD, has used the daVinci for surgery since 2005. “Where the daVinci has been superior is in lower blood loss, shorter hospital stay and shorter catheter time.”
And as more doctors are trained to use the daVinci, having the surgical system at Lancaster General will allow us to attract more top surgeons to this area.
* Not all patients are candidates for the da Vinci surgical procedure. Please consult with your referred specialist for options.
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