NCH first hospital in area to offer single incision gynecologic surgery using robotic technology
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (May 1, 2013) – Northwest Community Hospital (NCH) has become the first hospital in the region to offer gynecologic surgery using single-site robotic technology. The single-site platform for robotic surgery was recently approved by the Food & Drug Administration for hysterectomy and adnexal surgeries.
The Arlington Heights hospital's Robotic Gynecologic Surgery Institute is one of the first in the nation to use this new da Vinci® Single-Site™ robotic technology that leaves patients virtually free of scars. Several gynecologic surgeons on staff at NCH will be performing the procedures.
An NCH patient underwent the area's first da Vinci® Single-Site™ laparoscopic salpingectomy, (removal of a fallopian tube), and ovarian cystectomy, (removal of an ovarian cyst), during a procedure on May 1.
The specially trained physician removed the patient's right fallopian tube, right ovarian cyst and performed a resection of endometriosis through a 2-centimeter incision in the naval of the patient, who was suffering from pelvic pain and has a history of ovarian cysts. This new surgical approach is a significant advancement in how surgeries will be performed in the future and the role of robotic technology in the operating room.
“This single-site robotic platform provides surgeons with the increased dexterity, control and high-definition 3-D vision found with traditional robotic surgery, as well as the added benefit of performing the operation through a single, nearly invisible, scar hidden in the navel,” said Dr. Eric Benink, chief medical officer at NCH. “This surgery underscores NCH's commitment to providing patients with the highest level of surgical care using the most advanced minimally invasive surgical options.”
During the procedure, the surgeon sits comfortably at a console, viewing a 3-D, high-definition image of the patient's anatomy. The surgeon uses controls below the viewer to move the instrument arms and camera. In real-time, the system translates the surgeon's hand, wrist and finger movements into more precise movements of the miniaturized instruments inside the patient.
Patients who have gynecologic surgery with the assistance of the da Vinci robot experience both medical and cosmetic benefits. Patients have less scarring and experience potentially shorter recovery times, with many patients able to go home the very same day.
At NCH, surgeons perform various types of robotic-assisted surgeries in addition to gynecologic surgery, including surgical procedures for gall bladder removal, prostate, kidney, urological and colorectal conditions. Intuitive Surgical – the maker of the da Vinci system – has designated NCH a da Vinci robotic training center, teaching surgical excellence to surgeons nationwide. For more information on robotic surgeries at Northwest Community Hospital, visit nch.org/roboticsurgery.
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About Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH)
Serving Chicago's northwest suburbs since 1959, NCH is a comprehensive, patient-centered system of care that serves more than 350,000 outpatients each year, as well as nearly 30,000 inpatients treated annually at the 496-bed acute care hospital in Arlington Heights. The award-winning hospital holds the prestigious Magnet designation for nursing excellence, is designated as a Primary Stroke Center, earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval in 2011, and was awarded the Leapfrog Group's designation as one of the nation's Top Hospitals based on quality and safety criteria. NCH has four Immediate Care locations in the northwest suburbs and operates a FastCare Clinic in Palatine. NCH has a medical staff of more than 1,000 physicians, which includes the board-certified primary care doctors and specialists of the NCH Medical Group. For more information or to find a doctor on the NCH Medical staff, visit www.nch.org.