Amanda Wroten, 27, had two surgeries that dramatically changed her life.
In '06, she had abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck that removed seven pounds of extra skin after her weight dropped naturally from 240 to 125 pounds. Now her knees feel and act better and she's joined a rowing team, reliving a high school dream.
In '08, she underwent a da Vinci robotic hysterectomy to eliminate the benign uterine fibroid tumors that plagued her, despite the many treatments she tried. The outpatient surgery involved no incisions that would interfere with the internal sutures and scar tissue from her tummy tuck; her three incisions, each the length of a fingernail, was secured with surgical glue.
"I went home that day feeling great," says the Newport News resident. "Within three days, I was driving and really felt as though I could go back to work. I took it easy and was back at work in two weeks."
Amanda's surgery was done by physician William Irvin, a gynecologic oncologist with Riverside Cancer Care Center in Newport News; call 594-4198. In addition, he's an associate professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Virginia Medical Center.
The da Vinci Surgical System can also be used to perform myometcomy, a surgical procedure that removes uterine fibroids while preserving the uterus and the patient's fertility potential. Robotic surgery can also be used for the successful management of pelvic organ relaxation and prolapse, for the management of a variety of gynecologic cancers including cervical and endometrial cancer, as well as for a number of other gynecological procedures.
In addition, it's being used for prostate cancer and coronary artery bypass surgery. Visit www.intuitivesurgical.com for more details.