When medication, lifestyle changes and other non-surgical treatments cannot relieve symptoms, surgery is the accepted treatment for a broad range of conditions. But surgery can be a scary proposition, no matter how routine the procedure. If your physician recommends surgery, you want to learn as much as you can about your surgical options and find the physician and hospital that can provide the procedure and approach that are right for you.
While surgery is generally the most effective treatment option for a range of 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. The most common of these is conventional laparoscopic surgery, in which small incisions are used to insert long-shafted instruments. While laparoscopy is effective for many routine procedures, it has inherent limitations when either the procedure or the anatomy is challenging or complex.
Thanks to the latest evolution in surgical technology, physicians now have an effective alternative to traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy that may allow them to provide patients with the best of both approaches. With the assistance of the da Vinci® Surgical System, surgeons can now operate using only 1-2 cm incisions, but with greater precision and control than ever before.