Northside Hospital Hosts First Successful Delivery Of Healthy Twins Following A Myomectomy In The U.S.
Minimally invasive surgery offers new hope for women with uterine fibroids
For Lynn Parks of Gainesville, having children of her own seemed like a d
ream that would never come true. Lynn was one of the thousands of women in the United States who suffer from uterine fibroids, which sometimes causes infertility. However, a relatively new procedure available at Northside Hospital in Atlanta brought Lynn renewed hope and, today, Lynn is the proud mother of twins.
A leader in providing state-of-the-art robotic surgery in Atlanta, Northside Hospital embraced gynecologic surgery as part of its robotic surgery program, beginning in 2005, which includes robotic myomectomy, the surgical removal of uterine fibroids. Of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed in the U.S. each year, at least one third are for fibroids, leaving many women of child-bearing age unable to have children of their own. A common alternative to hysterectomy, myomectomy involves preserving and repairing the uterus, subsequently, preserving fertility and reducing the risk of uterine rupture during pregnancy.
During less invasive robotic myomectomy, state of the art, computer-assisted robotics technology provides surgeons with greater range of motion and flexibility to perform the procedure, while preserving and improving the visualization techniques of open surgery.
Patients benefit from smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays and recovery time, less pain and scarring, less blood loss, reduced risk of infection and preservation of the uterus and fertility.
"In gynecology, myomectomy is one of the most meticulous procedures that, at times, can be very difficult," said Dr. Ceana Nezhat of Northside Hospital, a world renowned gynecologic surgeon with expertise in minimally invasive surgery and a pioneer in laparoscopic and robotic surgery, who had recently introduced robotic myomectomy at Northside. "Proper repair of the uterus is critical to reduce the risk of uterine rupture during pregnancy."
Uterine fibroids are common benign (non-cancerous) tumors that develop within the uterine wall. While not all women with fibroids experience symptoms, symptoms may include excessive menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain and infertility.
In early 2007, after she began experiencing symptoms of uterine fibroids, Lynn was referred to Dr. Nezhat for surgery. Her surgery was successful and, in July 2007, she discovered she was pregnant. In fact, she was pregnant with twins.
According to Dr. Nezhat, who also uses robotic technology for hysterectomy, pelvic reconstruction and to treat endometriosis and infertility, everything about Lynn's case was unique. Many women who have undergone a myomectomy may not have successful pregnancies with a single birth, much less twins, because carrying two babies puts extra stress on the uterus. Lynn's robotic myomectomy, however, enabled her to carry her babies to term. This is the first report of successful delivery of healthy twins following a robotic myomectomy in the world.
Northside performs more robotic procedures than any other Georgia hospital - and ranks in the top 5 percent of all robotic GYN programs (10 percent for robotic prostatectomy programs) in the country.
Available at only a handful of hospitals in the Southeast, Northside Hospital was one of the first hospitals in Atlanta to obtain this innovative technology.
Many of the surgeons on staff at Northside are pioneers in laparoscopic surgery and are nationally recognized for their expertise in this and other minimally invasive techniques available at Northside. Combined with Northside's expertise in obstetrics and gynecology (more babies were born at Northside Hospital in 2007 than at any other hospital in the U.S.) and the skill and experience of the nurses and surgical technologists, this level of expertise is critical in the success of utilizing new technology, like robotics.
"We're seeing tremendous benefits to patients, who undergo a robotic procedure, in a growing range of specialties," said Vicki Barnett, RN, director of surgical services, Northside Hospital. "Robotic technology is a priority at Northside because it leads to better patient outcomes and allows us to continue our success as a national leader in minimally invasive surgery."
For more information about Northside Hospital's robotic surgical services, call 404-851-8200 or visit www.northside.com for a free physician referral.