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MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL PROCEDURE REDUCES SCARRING AND SHORTENS RECOVERY FOR WOMEN REQUIRING HYSTERECTOMIES Making the decision whether or not to have a hysterectomy can be both difficult and frightening. Unfortunately, it is a decision that will face one out of every three women in the United States. What is more worrisome than the decision itself is that approximately two thirds of these women will undergo the traditional invasive form of the procedure, which can result in a prolonged recovery and leave a visible scar. Now there is good news for women in New Jersey facing this decision. Anthony Quartell, M.D., an attending obstetrician/gynecologist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., is one of an elite group of physicians in the state offering women a minimally invasive hysterectomy option. Minimally invasive hysterectomies were developed to shorten recovery, reduce pain and complications and minimize scarring. Dr. Quartell has trained for years to perfect the new procedure, called laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSH), and has now successfully performed this procedure on over 100 women. Saint Barnabas Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in the state to offer this revolutionary procedure. “I would like to be able to provide as many patients as possible access to this procedure,” says Dr. Quartell, who is one of only 1,000 gynecologists across the nation trained in this technique and is dedicated to training other physicians in the procedure. “The major difference is found in patient comfort postoperatively. Patients are amazed to be back to their routines so quickly.” LSH, which generally requires a hospital stay of 24 hours or less with a six-day recovery period, also has less pain and scarring than the traditional surgery, which requires a two to five day hospital stay and up to a six-week recovery period. In the LSH procedure, only the uterus, with or without the tubes and ovaries, is removed, as opposed to the removal of the entire uterus and cervix in the “open” traditional procedure. LSH uses a laparoscope (a thin, lighted telescope) and small surgical instruments inserted through tiny incisions in the abdomen to remove only the top portion of the uterus. The surgeon carefully separates the uterus from the cervix and then uses an innovative surgical instrument, called a “tissue morcellator,” to carefully reduce the uterus into smaller sections which can be removed through the tiny incisions. The procedure can be performed under general or regional anesthesia. Christine Diaz of Jefferson, NJ, was experiencing problems with heavy bleeding caused by fibroids. Although she had one removed, others grew. By the time she came to Dr. Quartell’s office, she had become anemic from profuse hemorrhaging. Taking into consideration her history of fibroids and the fact that she had completed her family, she chose the new LSH procedure in consultation with Dr. Quartell. She had the procedure on a Wednesday and was able to resume her normal activities by the following Monday. “When I came out of the surgery I could have danced,” she says. “I felt like a brand new woman. I did not even need any pain medication. My stomach feels like I never had surgery. I can’t believe how bad I felt before and how great I feel now.” Mrs. Diaz adds that she is very pleased to have recovered so quickly, as compared to her friend who had the traditional surgery and was “out of commission for two months.” “Historically, gynecologists have been trained to perform traditional open hysterectomies, which often are harder on patients,” says Dr. Quartell. “Now, thanks to minimally invasive options, women do not need to be sidelined by hysterectomies. They can return to their normal lives more quickly. Women should discuss their treatment and recovery goals with their gynecologist when preparing to undergo a hysterectomy and ask if minimally invasive surgery would be an option.” Many women are diligent about researching every possible treatment option before agreeing to a hysterectomy. However, once the decision is made, they may not investigate their surgical alternatives or question the options presented to them. As a result, many do not know minimally invasive hysterectomy is an option unless their physician mentions it. The majority of gynecologists still perform traditional open hysterectomies (also referred to as total abdominal hysterectomies), although research from clinical trials shows minimally invasive options are better for the patient. In addition to LSH, other minimally invasive techniques include vaginal hysterectomy and laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy, but the LSH procedure has benefits that surpass even these techniques. Most notably, the procedure keeps the cervix intact, which helps to preserve pelvic support and sexual response as well as lower the incidence of vaginal prolapse, urinary incontinence and bowel dysfunction. Because the cervix is left intact, women should continue to have annual Pap smears to screen for cervical cancer. LSH is a good choice for women who: · have finished childbearing · have fibroids that are affecting their lifestyle · want a quicker return to their lives and jobs LSH may not be a good choice for women who: · have a prolapsed uterus · have endometriosis and/or very large, very numerous or calcified fibroids · engage in high-risk sexual behavior and may benefit from removal of the cervix to prevent cancer “Minimally invasive hysterectomies are an option for most women considering the procedure,” says Dr. Quartell. “Women need to be informed so they will know to ask about minimally invasive options. A hysterectomy can be emotionally and physically challenging enough without unnecessary discomfort and recovery time.” For more information, please call the Saint Barnabas Physician Referral Service at 1-888-SBMC-DOC. Date: May 24, 2006 [ top ] |
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