A Patient's Perspective
For Elizabeth von der Ahe, having a robotic-assisted hysterectomy was the only way to go. Elizabeth's doctor conducted the procedure with the da Vinci® Surgical System at Marin General Hospital.
While her condition had been causing pain for six years, it wasn't until she found out about the benefits of robotic-assisted hysterectomy that she decided to have surgery.
Obstetrician and gynecologist David Galland, MD, recommended a robotic-assisted hysterectomy after reviewing Elizabeth's medical history and learning about her strong desire to minimize down time after surgery.
As a registered nurse who travels to different hospitals, Elizabeth said she couldn't take time off work to have traditional surgery. A conventional hysterectomy typically requires three to four days in the hospital and six weeks or more away from work. In most cases, robotic-assisted hysterectomy is done on an outpatient basis, or with just one night in the hospital. Most patients are able to return to work or other normal activities three to four weeks later.
She left the hospital the same day of the surgery. Although Elizabeth would have been able to return to work three weeks later, instead she went on vacation in Hawaii, where she enjoyed boogie boarding and other activities. She resumed work soon after returning from vacation.
"It was such an amazing thing that I could go right home after the surgery," Elizabeth said. "As an RN, especially, I saw this as a big plus."
Yet a shorter hospital stay and quicker return to work weren't her only concerns.
"I'm an extremely informed consumer, " she explained. "I questioned Dr. Galland thoroughly and researched robotic gynecologic surgery extensively on my own and found nothing but positive information on outcomes."
Elizabeth chose Marin General because that's where Dr. Galland performs robotic-assisted surgery and because she wanted the latest technology.
Today, she says she'd recommend robotic-assisted surgery to anyone who is a candidate for this approach.