General Surgery

The thought of having surgery can be daunting. But researching your surgical options can ease your mind and help you make some decisions. While all surgeries carry risk, traditional “open” surgery with a large incision has its specific drawbacks including pain, trauma, long recovery time and risk of infection.

Luckily, less invasive options are available to many Covenant HealthCare patients. The most common is conventional laparoscopic surgery in which small incisions are used to insert long-shafted instruments. Laparoscopic surgery is effective for many routine procedures, but has limitations when the procedure, patient’s anatomy or condition is challenging or complex.

Thanks to technological advances, Covenant doctors now have a safe and effective alternative to “open” and laparoscopic surgery: da Vinci® surgery. With the assistance of its state-of-the-art robotic tools, surgeons can operate through tiny incisions and with greater vision, precision and control than ever before to treat general surgery conditions such as gall bladder disease and stones.

What are the benefits of da Vinci® over traditional open-cut surgery?

• Less pain (no rib or muscles are split)
• Fewer complications
• Less blood loss
• Shorter hospital stay
• Low risk of wound infection
• Quicker recovery and return to normal activities

Talk to your doctor about da Vinci® to see if robotic surgery is right for you.
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed since surgery is specific to each patient, condition and procedure. It’s important to talk to you doctor about all treatment options, including the risks and benefits. This information can help you make the best decision for your situation.