FARMINGTON HILLS — August 9th, gynecologist Burton S. Brodsky, M.D., led a Botsford Hospital surgical team in performing the first Single-Site da Vinci hysterectomy in the State of Michigan. This new procedure required just a single incision through the patient’s navel, which means she can get back to life faster without the usual recovery following major surgery.
“The procedure went beautifully and our patient is now recovering at home,” said Dr. Brodsky. “I am proud of my entire surgical team at Botsford for being exceptionally well trained and prepared for our first patient using this new surgical technology.”
Christina Shollack, RN, of Canton, Michigan, was the first patient in the state to have a hysterectomy using the Single-Site robotic technology. She had been suffering for years from significant pelvic pain.
“I was in agony for 20 days every month,” said Shollack. “Wasn’t sure that I could be a candidate for the Single-Site procedure since each of my three kids was born C-section, and I have had other abdominal surgeries to remove my gallbladder and appendix. But, they decided it could be done. Dr. Brodsky and the surgical team at Botsford performed perfectly. I got to go home within 24 hours of my surgery.”
Many women who require a hysterectomy are candidates for the robotic, single-incision surgery. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, hysterectomy is the second most common surgical procedure for women in the United States, and an estimated one-third of all women will have a hysterectomy by age 60.
For most women, Single-Site robotic hysterectomy offers virtually scarless results, minimal pain, low blood loss and faster recovery. The surgery usually can be performed in a relatively short amount of time with a typical hospital stay of less than 24 hours.
Among Dr. Brodsky’s surgical team were two of Botsford Hospital’s obstetrics-gynecology residents Rachel Kaplan, D.O., and Sweta Mehta, D.O., as well as Michelle Jaskowiec, RN, and surgical technologists Janet Trobaugh and Patrick Mayowski.
During the procedure, Dr. Brodsky sat at a console, viewing a three-dimensional, high-definition image of the patient’s anatomy. He used controls below the viewer to move the instrument arms and camera. In real-time, the system translated this surgeon’s hand, wrist and finger movements into more precise movements of the miniaturized instruments inside the patient.
Unlike traditional robotic surgeries requiring three to five small incisions, this new technology allowed for a single incision in the patient’s navel. Here, instruments were placed to remove the uterus.
“Robotic-assisted surgery and single-incision surgery aren’t new, but combining the two to remove the uterus is a safe and virtually scarless option for patients,” says Dr. Brodsky, who sees patients at his two office locations, one in Ferndale, the other in Novi.
Dr. Brodsky, who has been performing robotic surgeries for several years and recently trained on the single-site instrumentation, said, “This is a perfect example of the great strides Botsford has made in becoming a multidisciplinary robotic surgical center.”