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 Doctor's Note Surgical Advances
Dr. Pizarro's Note - Surgical Advancements June 2008 The delivery of surgical care for women has benefited from ongoing advances in technology. It has also responded to the growing awareness among patients of the options available in the modern practice of medicine. Thanks to the refinement of older procedures and the invention of new surgical devices, surgeons who care exclusively for women are increasingly better able to treat conditions that have long challenged them (conditions including female pelvic pain, ovarian masses and abnormal menstrual cycles). As surgical science moves forward and as physicians continue to find appropriate applications for new technologies, they will become more commonly available to women requiring specialized care.
The union of scientific advancement with the modern practice of gynecology is helping to better the lives of many women. With the rapid development and continued availability of newer surgical devices, more women have access to safe, effective surgical care. Future discoveries and technological improvements will allow physicians to offer increasingly better care for women.
Surgical Advances in Women’s Health
Computer Assisted (“robotic”) Laparoscopy
With this amazing advancement, the limitations of routine laparoscopy are overcome. This technique can help in the care of women who face hysterectomy, treatment of pelvic relaxation, removal of fibroid tumors, pelvic cysts, and other conditions. Although not all patients are candidates for robotic surgery, this technology is helping to greatly improve gynecologic surgical care for women.
Endometrial Ablation (EA)
A minimally invasive procedure used to treat abnormal periods by destroying the lining of the uterus. Although EA is not new, the latest generation of devices represents a refinement of older instruments and has very high success rates in women who are properly selected. A small instrument is advanced into the uterus and activated for only a few minutes to achieve the desired result.
New Surgical Devices
There have been continued advances in the development of new, more effective ways of controlling bleeding during surgery. For centuries, surgeons have relied on sutures and needles. Newer devices that rely on computerized control of bipolar electrical current to fuse vessels (instead of tying or burning them) are being perfected. The blood loss and speed can be greatly improved for surgeries such as hysterectomy. These devices make surgery safer, quicker and, according to some authorities, less painful.
Urethral Sling
In the mid 1990’s a minimally invasive variation of the urethral “sling” procedure for treating urinary leakge in women was invented by a Swedish gynecologist and uses modern materials. The new technique allowed for dramatic reductions in operating time and the complexity of the procedure. Over the past several years, numerous variations on this newer technique have been advanced and may prove to be even safer. Their study in research centers is ongoing. |
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