Palos Community Hospital offers da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery

Palos Community Hospital combines its rich tradition of attentive patient care with the latest technology, offering accomplished medical teams in robotic-assisted surgery for gynecological, prostate, gallbladder and bowel disorders.

Denise Cerrito, 57, knows she made the right choice by selecting this approach to correct her pelvic organ prolapse. She had reached the point where her discomfort and constant trips to the bathroom made it almost impossible to accomplish normal everyday activities.

Praise from her does not come easy. An Emergency Department nurse at Palos, Cerrito expected the same high standards of her care team that she gives her patients. She still recalls the confidence she felt about everyone in the operating room as they wheeled her in under the direction of Sandra Culbertson, M.D., a board-certified surgeon who specializes in robotic surgery to treat pelvic floor disorders.

"I felt very comfortable because Dr. Culbertson is very proficient, and so was everyone else who cared for me – from the moment I walked in the door to the moment I left the hospital," says Cerrito, a Tinley Park mother of two grown children.

Robotic surgery is accomplished with the da Vinci surgical system, named after Leonardo da Vinci, inventor of the first robot and master of anatomically accurate drawing. Robotic surgery uses a minimally invasive approach that puts less stress on the body than traditional surgical methods. The traditional approach often involves a long incision. Healing can take months, be extremely painful and leave long scars.

Instead, the da Vinci system enables surgeons to work in confined spaces in the abdomen and pelvis by using small instruments inserted through quarter-sized holes. Surgeons direct thin, specially designed robotic arms equipped with cameras, intense magnification and surgical tools through the holes. The robot’s pinpoint accuracy and computer-controlled system enable the surgeon to execute high-precision movements and differentiate between tiny nerves and blood vessels that are important to avoid during delicate procedures.

During the entire operation, the surgeon sits at a console controlling every move of the robot, while the rest of the surgical team is at the patient’s side overseeing the procedure.

With her track record of more than 200 robotic procedures, Dr. Culbertson performed a sacral colpopexy on Cerrito.

“Palos has the top-of-the-line model, which makes it easier to visualize anatomy. The team here is also very well trained,” Dr. Culbertson says.

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs because the connective tissue supporting the bladder and other pelvic organs weakens, causing it to fall – essentially causing a hernia. Dr. Culbertson urges women not to ignore symptoms because they are often treatable. A variety of factors can contribute to prolapse, including childbirth, hormonal changes with aging and heavy lifting.

“Prolapse is a lot more common than women realize,” Dr. Culbertson says. “The big problem is that women don’t talk about it and think that no one else has this issue.”

Cerrito knows the hard recovery that comes after conventional surgery, and she wanted no part of it. “I am not a person who wants to be down in bed.  I’ve got a busy life, and people depend on me,” she says.

Following a six-week recovery from robotic surgery, she is left with five small scars and has regained her ability to accomplish what she wants, when she wants – without interruptions.

“This is a very big deal in my life that I had this done, and I could not have asked for a better experience,” Cerrito says.

Robotic surgery at Palos builds on the hospital’s dedication to expert, compassionate care. Along with board-certified physicians trained in robotic surgery, nurses guide patients every step of the way – from the first phone call before you arrive, to constant bedside monitoring, to follow-up visits after you return home.

Palos’ Hospitaller Pavilion is the new home for the da Vinci surgical system. Procedures are conducted in the pavilion’s large operating suites with state-of-the-art monitoring and imaging equipment that enhance patient safety. Patients will recover in private rooms.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/davincisurgery

Benefits of robotic surgery

Surgery using the da Vinci robotic system offers important potential advantages for patients:

• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster recovery time
• Less post-operative pain
• Reduced scarring
• Decreased chance of infection
• Reduced blood loss
• Lower risk of complications