Gynecology

If you have a gynecologic condition, and you did not find relief through medication and nonsurgical procedures, then you may be a candidate for surgery.

Robotic Surgery for Gynecologic Conditions

Our surgeons perform surgery for many gynecologic conditions, including:

• Cervical and uterine cancer
• Uterine fibroids
• Endometriosis
• Uterine prolapse
• Menorrhagia or excessive bleeding

Robotic Surgery vs. Traditional Surgery

Traditional, open surgery used to be the most effective method to treat these conditions. However, traditional surgery, using a large abdominal incision to access the area, leads to a long, painful recovery. We understand that if you are facing gynecologic surgery, the extensive recovery period may cause you anxiety.

With advances in robotic technology, surgeons may use a robotic procedure to treat many gynecologic conditions. There are many advantages to undergoing a robotic procedure instead of an open one.

Robotic surgery versus traditional surgery:

Robotic Surgery: Procedures We Offer

At St. Joseph’s Hospitals, we offer a number of robotic gynecologic procedures. Our robotic surgeons are some of the leading experts in the region, performing more than hundreds of procedures every year.

Robotic procedures we perform include:

• Hysterectomy
• Hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
• Myomectomy
• Sacrocolpopexy
• Endometriosis resection
• Salpingo-oophorectomy

Hysterectomy

Hysterectomies are the second most common surgical procedure in the United States and used to treat a wide variety of uterine conditions. During a hysterectomy, your surgeon removes your uterus. Rather than the traditional six to 12-inch abdominal incision used during traditional surgery, robotic surgeons use an incision only one to two cm. long.

Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy (BSO)

During a hysterectomy with BSO, your surgeon removes your womb and cervix (hysterectomy) along with your fallopian tubes (salpingectomy) and ovaries (oophorectomy). Your surgeon may recommend this procedure if you are at significant risk for developing further problems. Your surgeon will discuss the procedure in depth with you.

Myomectomy

A myomectomy is an alternative to a hysterectomy, often used to treat uterine fibroids. You may choose to have this procedure if you wish to preserve your uterus and fertility. During a myomectomy, your surgeon:

1. Cuts around and removes each fibroid.
2. Repairs the uterine wall.

Benefits of a robotic myomectomy include:

• High rate of success, even for complex procedures
• Successful outcomes, regardless of size or location of fibroids
• Can be performed even when uterine wall needs to be completely reconstructed

Sacrocolpopexy

Sacrocolpopexy is a procedure to treat pelvic prolapse, a condition in which your pelvic organs slip out of their normal positions. During a sacrocolpopexy, your surgeon inserts a soft, synthetic mesh to support the pelvic organs.

More than 120,000 women undergo surgery for uterine and vaginal vault prolapse each year in the United States.

Endometriosis Resection

Endometriosis is a condition that occurs when your uterine lining (the endometrium) grows outside your uterus, in other parts of your body. It may appear in your ovaries, bowel or the tissue lining your pelvis. During an endometriosis resection, your surgeon removes the abnormal tissue.

Salpingo-Oophorectomy

A salpingo-oophorectomy is a combination of two procedures:

• Salpingectomy, surgery to remove the fallopian tubes
• Oophorectomy, surgery to remove one or both of your ovaries

Because the fallopian tubes and ovaries share a blood supply, the two surgeries are often combined. If one ovary is removed, it is called unilateral oophorectomy; if both are removed, it is a bilateral oophorectomy.