What is loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) surgery?
LEEP is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that helps prevent cervical cancer. Your Georgia Center for Women OB/GYN may recommend LEEP if your Pap smear or biopsy shows abnormal cervical cell growth.
During LEEP, your doctor extracts abnormal cells using a small wire loop. The process works much like a Pap smear, in that it starts with speculum insertion to open your vaginal walls. Your doctor then injects anesthesia into your cervix so you're numb during the procedure. LEEP takes only about 10 minutes and you won't typically need downtime.
What is da Vinci® robotic surgery?
In the world of minimally invasive surgical procedures, the da Vinci Surgical System is the well-established leader. After placing a miniature lighted camera in a small incision in your abdomen, your Georgia Center for Women doctor views the surgery area (inside your body) on a 3D high-definition monitor.
In some cases, the surgical instruments move through the same small incision, while in other cases the doctor may make a couple more tiny incisions. Your doctor performs the surgery by controlling surgical instruments attached to a robotic arm.
Because the robotic arm has much more flexibility and rotation capability than human arms, your doctor can make the most precise movements possible. Additionally, the robotic arm is rock-steady, and never prone to fatigue tremors as human arms can be.
What type of surgeries can the doctor do using da Vinci robotics?
There are many gynecology surgeries done with da Vinci robotics today, including:
- Hysterectomy, including a single-site (one incision) hysterectomy for non-cancer surgery
- Myomectomy, fibroid removal
- Endometriosis resection
In most cases, da Vinci robotic surgery offers dramatically faster healing times, less bleeding, and less pain than other surgical options like open surgery.
What is a laparoscopy?
A laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that's similar to robotic surgery in many ways. Your doctor makes only small incisions, and a lighted miniature camera relays images of the surgery site to a nearby monitor for your doctor to view.
The main difference is that with laparoscopy, your doctor holds the surgical instruments themselves while in robotic surgery the robotic arm holds the instruments. Laparoscopy is both a diagnostic and treatment procedure. Your doctor may do a laparoscopy to diagnose and treat a condition like endometriosis.
Book your minimally invasive surgery consultation at Georgia Center for Women online or call the location nearest you today.
