A 76-year-old female patient was diagnosed with acute biliary cholecystitis and needed medical help due to right upper quadrant pain. The decision to remove the gallbladder as soon as possible was taken. At the same time the patient had a gynecologic hemorrhage and was consulted by a gynecologist prior to our operation. After screening the patient was also diagnosed with uterus cancer.
To address both diseases effectively at the same time we chose the robotic approach. First, we would remove the gallbladder and then we would perform a total hysterectomy. Our choice was based on the benefits of robotic surgery such as
- Removal of the omentum
- Removal of the ovaries, of the tubes and the uterus
- Total lymph nodes harvest
Benefits
The choice of robotic approach for this demanding case had several advantages:
- Blood loss was minimal, no big incisions in the abdomen and the patient’s recovery was fast: discharged within 48 hours.
- The lymph node harvest was optimal as all lymph nodes located in nearby major vessels, withing the pelvis and in the omentum were removed.
- The patient was morbidly obese and the robotic approach in addition to our vast experience results in nearly 0% conversion rate to open surgery.
The fact that we were able to perform 2 different operations, have a full lymph node harvest and being able to thoroughly explore the abdominal cavity without an incision in the abdomen proves the superiority of the robotic technology. Our experience is clearly shown in such cases as we routinely perform robotic abdominal operations in Athens Medical Center since 2006 under the direction of world renowned prof. K. Konstantinidis, who first used the robotic platform in Greece.
