MY RELATIONSHIP TO DA VINCI SURGERY: Patient

MY CONDITION: Other Gynecologic Condition

TYPE OF PROCEDURE I HAD: da Vinci Hysterectomy

DATE OF PROCEDURE: Feb 3, 2006

MY SURGEON: Dr. Lynn Kowalski

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

HOW LONG I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL:
Overnight

MY PAIN AND/OR DISCOMFORT LEVEL:
I never took a pain pill at all. (Dr. Kowalski) prescribed them for me but I didn't take them. I didn't have any pain.

WHEN I RETURNED TO NORMAL ACTIVITIES:
I went to see the girls - I had (the surgery) Friday, went home Saturday - I went to see the girls Tuesday at work and they all looked at me. "What are you doing here?" A lot of them had hysterectomies, and they were still in bed after 10 days. And, I said, "Well, I feel good!"

ABOUT MY SURGEON AND/OR FACILITY STAFF:
(Dr. Kowalski) was very good at explaining. She came in and checked me before I went in and the hospital did a beautiful job getting me ready.

HOW DA VINCI SURGERY COMPARED TO MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES OR PRECONCEPTIONS OF SURGERY:
I've had surgeries before; this was not my first surgery. I had had a cesarean and that took forever feeling better.

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

I had a hysterectomy Feb 3, 2006 and Dr. Lynn Kowalski did the surgery, and it was the robotic surgery. I'm not one that likes to go to the doctor a lot, but I had breakthrough bleeding and I knew it had to be something because I had gone through the change of life. Of course I went to my regular doctor and she told me that she would do my pap smear and I said "Well, you know I've had some breakthrough bleeding" and she said, "Ooh, that doesn't sound good." We did a little bit more extensive searching and, she came back and told me I had cancer, first stage. And, so she said 'I'm going to send you to Lynn' and she did and, of course, set up surgery. She told me it's a new system and I said, "Well, I'm willing to go with it."

She was very good at explaining, she came in and checked me before I went in and made sure I was okay. The hospital did a beautiful job of getting me ready. My husband was sitting next to me, his eyes (very) big. I went into this nice cold room and I looked over and I said, "That must be the robot," and he said, "Yeah, that's it."

Lynn Kowalski came in the next morning just to see how I was doing; I was sitting in a chair and she said, "Did I do surgery on you yesterday?" I said "Yeah, I want to go home," she said, "Not yet." It was just too easy. What really amazed me . I went to see the girls - I had (the surgery) Friday, went home Saturday - I went to see the girls Tuesday at work and they all looked at me. "What are you doing here?" A lot of them had hysterectomies and they were still in bed after 10 days. And, I said, "Well, I feel good!"

I never took a pain pill at all. (Dr. Kowalski) prescribed them for me but I didn't take them. I didn't have any pain. I've had surgeries before; this was not my first surgery. I had had a cesarean and that took forever feeling better. It takes you a little awhile to get moving again, I think because they open the body and it's sort of a shock to your body and by not being open and not losing that much blood, I felt marvelous.

I would not even consider going the old method. I like that robot, I really do. And, actually I have everybody saying, "I want what you had!" Really! Especially when I came back (so soon). "What are you doing here?" They just sort of look at you and say, "Didn't you have surgery?" I have a girl that is with a health plan in Nevada. She said, "What doctor do you go to? Because I know I'm gonna have to have it then, I want to go your method" because I came back so fast feeling good.