How is robot-assisted surgery for GYN cancer different from open surgery and laparoscopy?
A traditional hysterectomy and lymph node dissection (the most common treatment option for patients diagnosed with GYN cancer) requires a long vertical incision from the pubic bone to just above the navel. This size of this incision can result in a lengthy recovery of approximately six weeks and an increased risk of infection for some patients. Patients are also often left with a large scar and some abdominal muscle weakness following the procedure. Both laparoscopy and robot-assisted surgery require smaller incisions, which result in a quicker recovery for the patient and decreased risk of infection. With laparoscopy, however, it feels almost like the surgeon is using chopsticks to perform the operation. The tools used to perform laparoscopic procedures are rigid and do not allow for the extended range of mobility offered by the instruments used during robot-assisted surgery. As a result, procedures that are often challenging to perform with laparoscopy are made easier with robot-assi
