Hysterectomy
Physicians perform hysterectomy – the surgical removal of the uterus – to treat a wide variety of uterine conditions. Each year in the U.S. alone, doctors perform approximately 600,000 hysterectomies, making it the second most common surgical procedure.¹

Types of Hysterectomy
Various types of hysterectomy are performed, depending on the patient’s diagnosis:

• Supracervical hysterectomy – removes the uterus, leaves cervix intact
• Total hysterectomy – removes the uterus and cervix
• Radical hysterectomy or modified radical hysterectomy – a more extensive surgery for gynecologic cancer that includes removing the uterus and cervix and may also remove part of the vagina, fallopian tubes, ovaries and lymph nodes in order to stage the cancer (determine how far it has spread).

Approaches to Hysterectomy
Surgeons perform the majority of hysterectomies using an “open” approach, which is through a large 6 to 12-inch incision in the abdomen. When cancer is involved, the conventional treatment has always been open surgery in order to see and, if necessary, remove related structures like the cervix or the ovaries.

A second approach to hysterectomy, vaginal hysterectomy, involves removal of the uterus through the vagina, without any external incision or subsequent scarring. Surgeons most often use this minimally invasive approach if the patient’s condition is benign (non-cancerous), when the uterus is normal size, and the condition is limited to the uterus.

In laparoscopic hysterectomy, the uterus is removed either vaginally or through small incisions made in the abdomen. The surgeon can see the target anatomy on a video monitor thanks to a miniaturized camera inserted into the abdomen through the small incisions. A laparoscopic approach offers surgeons a better view of affected structures than either vaginal or abdominal hysterectomy alone.

A new, minimally invasive approach to hysterectomy, da Vinci Hysterectomy, is now available. Using the da Vinci Surgical System, this procedure combines the advantages of conventional open and minimally invasive hysterectomies – but with far fewer drawbacks.

1. Centers for Disease Control. Keshavarz H, Hillis S, Kieke B, Marchbanks P. Hysterectomy Surveillance — United States, 1994–1999. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Surveillance Summaries. July 12, 2002. Vol. 51 / SS-5. Page 1. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/ss/ss5105.pdf

Learn more:
> da Vinci urologic surgery (including treatment for prostate cancer )
> da Vinci gynocelogic surgery  (including hysterectomy)
> da Vinci cardiothoracic surgery (including mitral valve repair)
> The da Vinci Surgical System at daVinciSurgery.com

While clinical studies support the effectiveness of the da Vinci System when used in minimally invasive surgery, individual results may vary. Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System may not be appropriate for every individual. Always ask your doctor about all treatment options, as well as their risks and benefits.