Uterine Fibroids A uterine fibroid is a common type of benign (non-cancerous) tumor that develops within the uterine wall. Uterine fibroids occur in up to one third of all women and are actually the leading reason for hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) in the United States.1 Uterine fibroids occur in 20-40% of all women during reproductive years.2 Uterine fibroids may grow as a single tumor or clusters. They often increase in size and frequency with age, but may also revert in size after menopause. While not all women with fibroids experience symptoms, these may include excessive menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain and difficulty getting pregnant.
Myomectomy A common alternative to hysterectomy for fibroids is myomectomy, the surgical removal of fibroid tumors and a procedure considered standard-of-care for removing fibroids and preserving the uterus.3 It therefore may be recommended for women who wish to become pregnant.Myomectomy is most often performed through a large abdominal incision. After removing each fibroid, the surgeon repairs the uterus to minimize potential bleeding, infection and scarring. Proper repair is critical to reducing the risk of uterine rupture during a future pregnancy.
Another approach, laparoscopic myomectomy, offers a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery but is usually not an option for women with large fibroids, multiple fibroids or with fibroids in difficult-to-reach
areas .
Open Surgery Incision
da Vinci
Myomectomy
Incisions
da Vinci® for Myomectomy
If your doctor recommends surgery for Uterine Fibroids, you may be a candidate for a minimally invasive approach: da Vinci Myomectomy.
da Vinci Surgery uses state-of-the-art technology to help your doctor perform a more precise operation than conventional instrumentation allows. It offers numerous potential benefits over a conventional open surgery, including:
Significantly less pain
Less blood loss
Fewer transfusions
Less risk of infection
Less scarring
Shorter hospital stay
Shorter recovery time
Better clinical outcomes, in many cases
da Vinci Surgery for Myomectomy incorporates the best techniques of open surgery and applies them to a robotic-assisted, minimally invasive approach.
The precision and dexterity afforded by the da Vinci Surgical System's advanced instrumentation facilitates a minimally invasive approach for treating Uterine Fibroids.
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is patient and procedure specific.
