MY RELATIONSHIP TO DA VINCI SURGERY: Patient

MY CONDITION: Cervical Cancer

TYPE OF PROCEDURE I HAD: da Vinci Hysterectomy

MY SURGEON: Dr. Lynn Kowalski

HOSPITAL WHERE MY PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED: Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center

OTHER TREATMENTS I CONSIDERED BEFORE DA VINCI SURGERY:
My mom had had ovarian cancer and had a laparoscopic procedure done after she had completed her cancer treatment. During that procedure, there was some errors made and as a result she became septic. To make a very long story short, she almost died. So I was very anti-laparoscopic procedures. I really had no intention of ever having that done on me. So I met with Dr. Kowalski and we decided that the time was right to do this. I told her that I do not wish to have any type of laparoscopic procedure, and she respected that. She knew my previous history, and our original intention was to proceed with - as she called it - the gold standard of going right down the middle (open surgery).

WHY I CHOSE DA VINCI SURGERY:
For me, my decision came from a safety standpoint. What could the doctor's see? I'd had two previous c-sections. I knew I'd had adhesions in there. My second c-section, the doctor cut into my bladder. So I was really concerned with whether the doctor could see well while she was in there. And then secondly, were the tools sufficient for her to do what she needed to do once she could get in there. She explained to me that with the da Vinci robotic system the magnification is so much better than what she could see with her own eyes. First of all, if I was just opened up. And secondly, I believe it's also better than a traditional laparascopic procedure. So that made me feel really good.

HOW LONG I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL:
One day.

MY PAIN AND/OR DISCOMFORT LEVEL:
When I woke up, the first thing that occured to me was that I didn't hurt. I had no real pain.

ABOUT MY RECOVERY TIME:
I went home the next day, which was a Saturday. Basically, the first week I felt tired, I slept a lot. But, you know kids, they don't stop, even though you've had a surgery. Both my kids had a massive stomach bugs that first week and I was able to care for them and be up and dealing with them.

WHEN I RETURNED TO NORMAL ACTIVITIES:
By two weeks, I was driving. I got my hair cut and my husband and I went out on a date night that Saturday night.

ABOUT MY SURGEON AND/OR FACILITY STAFF:
Medicine got my mom a long way after what was done, but it was very hard for me to trust the opinion of a doctor after what had happened to her. I can do that again, and Dr. Kowalski and this procedure are the reasons I can do that again.

HOW DA VINCI SURGERY COMPARED TO MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES OR PRECONCEPTIONS OF SURGERY:
I thought I was choosing between the open procedure and a laparoscopic procedure. Dr. Kowalski said, "Oh no, there's a third option. There's robotic surgery." My mouth kind of dropped, "What?" She explained how there's much less blood loss, how the recovery is much easier, the incisions are much smaller.

I WOULD RECOMMEND DA VINCI SURGERY TO MY FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS!