da Vinci Robotic Surgery for Gynecologic Cancers

Treatment for gynecologic cancer depends on the tumor size, invasiveness and location. Some gynecologic cancers may be treated with robotic surgery. These include early stage cervical cancer, early stage ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer. Surgical treatment for gynecologic cancers may be complemented with radiation therapy or chemotherapy when appropriate.

Gynecologic oncologists at Mercy are skilled at using the da Vinci robot to perform surgery to treat gynecologic conditions and cancers including endometrial, early stage ovarian and early stage cervical cancers. Robotic surgery can also be used to stage some cancers and determine the extent of the disease. Although not all women are candidates for robotic surgery, the da Vinci robot can be used to perform the following procedures:

• Hysterectomy - simple (removal of uterus and cervix) and radical (removal of uterus and cervix plus removal of upper vagina)
• Oophorectomy - removal of one or both ovaries
• Salpingo-oophorectomy - removal of one or both ovaries and one or both fallopian tubes
• Ovarian Cystectomy - removal of ovarian cysts
• Myomectomy - robotic surgery for uterine fibroids
• Sacropolpopexy - surgery to correct pelvic organ prolapse (when a woman's pelvic organs slip downward and out of normal position)
• Lymph Node Dissection - surgery to remove and examine the lymph nodes in the pelvis to either prevent the spread of cancer or to understand the extent of the disease

Robotic surgery provides many benefits including, typically, a shorter hospital stay, less scarring and a faster return to daily activities, however, not all women are good candidates for robotic surgery. 

Robotic surgery as the best treatment option is determined by reviewing a woman's overall health as well as her particular condition and the extent of the disease. 

Some factors that may preclude women from robotic surgery include severe obesity, dense scar tissue due to prior abdominal surgery and large tumors. To determine whether or not you may be a candidate for robotic surgery, consult one of our gynecologic oncologists.