Palscience

Surgical robots now play an important roll in the surgery room, they help surgeons perform complex surgeries that need accurate and more precise movements than the surgeon’s hand. A surgical team led by Dr. Ashok Hemal, a urologic surgeon from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, performed a laparoscopic surgery to repair abnormal openings between the bladder and vagina. This disorder is known as fistulas and its a very serious and painful disorder.

“There was less blood loss with this procedure than with conventional surgery and there is the potential for a faster recovery,” said Hemal, director of the Robotic and Minimally Invasive Urologic Surgery Program at Wake Forest. “The results were outstanding and suggest the robot-assisted surgery is an attractive option for fistulas that would normally require abdominal surgery.

“Robot-assisted surgery has promise to bridge the limitations of laparoscopic surgery and allow more women with fistulas, urinary incontinence or prolapsed pelvic organs to benefit from a minimally invasive approach,” he added.