The Facts On Robotic Surgery
- Robotic surgery is best suited to early-stage ovarian cancer surgery.
- Advantages include less hospital time, less post-surgical pain, and faster recovery.
- Cost is often similar to that of traditional surgery, due to reduced hospital time.
“Unlike an open surgery, when you have a robotic surgery you have small incisions — usually about five incisions, less than a centimeter in size, around the belly button,” Dr. Lori Weinberg, a gynecologic oncologist at Minnesota Oncology, told SurvivorNet.
Read More Dr. Weinberg pointed out that due to these small incisions, pain will be less severe when a woman wakes up from surgery. However, “there’s a lot of work internally,” Dr. Weinberg said. “So, there’s still some soreness. Maybe some cramping, discomfort. But usually not severe, intense pain like you would have if you had a big open incision.” After surgery, women can usually go home on the same day, Dr. Weinberg said. “Once you’re home, you can be up and moving, eating and drinking,” she said. “Usually [with] the recovery, you’re not lying in bed and not being able to eat and drink for days. You’re up and moving around and eating a regular diet. So, most people do very well and recover very quickly from these surgeries.”
While the cost of robotic surgery may be higher, due to the expensive equipment, the shorter hospital time associated with minimally invasive surgery may offset this cost, Dr. Weinberg notes.
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