Robotic Surgery in Gynecology – Treatments and Conditions

The arrival of robotic surgery in the field of gynaecology has brought a lot of modifications to the field. Robotic surgery is indeed more advantageous than the traditional open surgery method. It has become so much better and easier for the patients as well as the doctors to work with the robotic assistant. As robotic surgery comes with less mess and less pain which is a good thing for both – the surgeon and the patient.
You might be wondering if the laparoscopic method was there and if it is similar to robotic surgery. But certainly, there are some differences between the laparoscopic method and robotic-assisted surgery.
This blog will be discussing the difference between laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery, the treatments and gynecologic conditions in which surgeons use robotic assistants.

What is the difference between laparoscopic surgery and robotic surgery?

People generally think that these surgeries are the same because both use minimally invasive surgery. The cuts in these surgeries are quite smaller than the cuts in open surgery.

But the major difference between the two is that in laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon performs the surgery by hand. But in robotic-assisted surgery, the surgeon performs the surgery with robotic hands. The robotic hands mimic what the surgeon does. It is better as there are no chances of trembling in the surgeon’s hands, hence fewer chances of complications.

In addition to this, the camera is two-dimensional in laparoscopic surgery whereas it is three-dimensional in robotic surgery which provides a clearer picture to the surgeon. Moreover, robotic hands can reach places where the surgeon’s hands cannot.

Therefore, robotic surgery is even better than laparoscopic surgery.

Gynecologic conditions in which surgeons perform robotic surgery-

Gynaecologists suggest their patients go-ahead for robotic surgery in the following cases-

• Endometriosis– It is a condition in which the tissues of the uterus lining (endometriosis) start growing off this lining. They grow in the pelvic region or other areas of the body. It can be really painful. The person has pain during sexual intercourse, pain while urinating, lower back pain, infertility, constipation, diarrhoea, nausea and other digestive problems.
• Abdominal pain and pelvic pain– These are harsh pains that occur below the belly button and in the pelvic region. These can be mild or sharp, intermittent or frequent. They can be due to various causes like constipation, appendices, hernia, urinary tract infection, ovarian cysts, heavy periods, urological disorders, prostate diseases, fibroids, kidney stones, etc.
• Heavy periods and painful periods– If you are bleeding too heavily or for a very long period, it may not be normal. It can be due to PCOS, hormonal imbalance, fibroids, pregnancy complications, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, etc. You may even have anaemia, big chunks of blood clots, etc.
• Uterine fibroids– Uterine fibroids also known as myomas are not cancerous fibroids. They may grow either inside or outside of the uterus. They can cause irregular periods, heavy or painful periods, pain while urinating and painful urination, problems in sexual intercourse, constipation and pelvic pain.
• Gynecologic cancer- There are different types of gynaecological cancers including cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, vaginal cancer, uterine cancer, vulvar cancer and peritoneal cancer. It is difficult to treat these cancers. Moreover, generally, these cancers are detected at an advanced stage. Therefore, gynaecologists generally suggest surgery for these types of cancers.

Treatments for gynaecological conditions-

The doctors do not suggest surgery to all patients. There are other treatments as well for gynaecological conditions. But there are certain cases where surgeries are a must.
For instance, if you have hormonal problems or Polycystic Ovarian Disorder, your gynaecologist might prescribe some hormonal pills to you. Or they may prescribe you contraceptive pills with vitamin supplements.
If you have uterine fibroids, they will go for a myomectomy to just remove the strips of the fibroids as it is not cancerous.
But if you have some type of gynaecological cancer or endometriosis they might remove your entire uterus.
In such cases, gynaecologists suggest surgeries to the patients. Options like chemotherapy and radiation are also open in such cases. But it depends on the stage of cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation do not work so effectively at a later stage. In addition to that, it depends from patient to patient whether their bodies can handle such an effect or not.
Therefore, it would be best if you consult your gynaecologist about which treatment is right for you.

If your doctor suggests surgery, ask if you could go for a robotic surgery. Choose a hospital where you get the facility of robotic-assisted surgery. Patients heal faster in robotic surgery, there is less blood loss, and chances of clotting and infection are minimal. The incisions will be small, post-operative pain will be less and you can get a faster discharge from the hospital. When you are getting so many advantages in robotic surgery then why go for traditional open surgery which comes with bigger cuts, too much blood loss, less dexterity and more healing time?

Contact us, at Asian hospital Faridabad, for gynaecological consultation and robotic gynaecological surgery. We have specialized doctors in robotic surgery who will use their years of experience and precise skills to treat your problems.