When medication, lifestyle changes and other nonsurgical treatments cannot relieve symptoms, surgery is an accepted treatment for a broad variety of conditions. Surgery can be a scary proposition for a patient, no matter how routine the procedure. If surgery is recommended, it is important to learn as much as possible about the surgical options and find the right physician and hospital.
While surgery is generally considered to be the most effective treatment option for a range of abdominal and other conditions, traditional open surgery with a large incision has its drawbacks - pain, trauma, long recovery time and risk of infection. Fortunately, less invasive options are available to many patients facing surgery.
A New Category in Minimally Invasive Surgery
Thanks to evolutions in surgical technology, physicians now have an effective alternative to traditional open surgery and laparoscopy that allows them to provide patients with the advantages of both approaches. With the assistance of the da Vinci® Surgical System, surgeons can now operate using only 1- to 2-centimeter incisions, but with greater precision and control than ever before. da Vinci can help surgeons minimize the pain and risk associated with surgery while increasing the likelihood of a fast recovery and excellent clinical outcomes.1
1Jacobsen G, Berger R, Horgan S. The role of robotic surgery in morbid obesity. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2003 Aug;13(4):279-83. Review.
