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The Condition: Uterine Fibroids

A uterine fibroid is a common type of benign (noncancerous) tumor that can grow within the uterine wall, inside and also outside the uterus. Uterine fibroids are most common in women ages 30 to 40, but can occur at any age. 1 An estimated 20 to 80 percent of women develop fibroids by age 50. 2 Uterine fibroids are the most common reason a hysterectomy is performed. 2

Uterine fibroids may grow as a single tumor or in clusters. They often increase in size and frequency with age, but may shrink after menopause. Not all women experience symptoms due to fibroids. When symptoms are present, they may include: excessive menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, frequent urination and difficulty getting pregnant.

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The Treatment: Myomectomy

Myomectomy is a common alternative to hysterectomy for treating fibroids. Myomectomy is the surgical removal of fibroid tumors while leaving the uterus in place. Myomectomy is often recommended and considered the standard of care for women who want to become pregnant or keep their uterus for other reasons. 2,3

Myomectomy is often performed using traditional open surgery, meaning a large incision is made in the lower abdomen. After removing each fibroid, the surgeon repairs the uterus to minimize potential bleeding, infection and scarring. Proper repair of the uterus is critical to reducing the risk of uterine rupture (tearing) during pregnancy. 3

Uterine fibroid embolization is a newer, noninvasive treatment in which blood vessels to the uterus are blocked. This stops the blood flow that allows fibroids to grow. Possible side effects include bleeding, infection and difficult getting pregnant. 1 Laparoscopic myomectomy is another minimally invasive alternative to open surgery but is usually not an option for women with large, multiple, or difficult-to-reach fibroids. 3

da Vinci® Myomectomy

If your doctor recommends surgery to treat uterine fibroids, you may be a candidate for da Vinci® Myomectomy a minimally invasive, uterine-sparing procedure. the da Vinci® Myomectomy requires only a few tiny incisions so you can get back to your life faster. da Vinci® can help surgeons to perform this delicate operation with superior vision, precision, dexterity and control.

da Vinci® Myomectomy offers many potential benefits over traditional surgery, including:

  • Significantly less pain 5
  • Less blood loss 6,7,8
  • Minimally invasive option for removing large, numerous, hard-to-reach fibroids 3
  • Fewer complications and risk of infection 5,6
  • Shorter hospital stay 5,6,8
  • Faster recovery and return to normal activities 5
  • Tiny incisions for excellent cosmetic results

As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is unique to each patient and procedure.

1 Uterine Fibroids; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Available from: http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp074.cfm.
2 Uterine Fibroids; WomensHealth.gov U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available from: http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/uterine fibroids.cfm#5.
3 Advincula AP, Song A, Burke W, Reynolds RK. Preliminary experience with robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy. J Am Assoc Gynecol Laparosc. 2004 Nov;11(4):511-8.
4 Sangeeta Senapati, Arnold P. Advincula. Surgical techniques: robot-assisted laparoscopic myomecto- my with the da Vinci® Surgical System. J Robotic Surg (2007) 1:69–74 DOI 10.1007/s11701- 007-0014-1.
5 Piquion-Joseph JM, Navar A, Ghazaryan A, Papanna R, Klimek W, Laroia R. Robot-assisted gynecological surgery in a community setting. Journal of Robotic Surgery, 2009:1-4.
6 Advincula AP, Xu X, Goudeau S, Ransom SB. Robot-assisted laparoscopic myo- mectomy versus abdominal myomectomy: A comparison of short-term surgical outcomes and immediate costs. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, 2007.
7 Visco AG, Advincula AP. Robotic gynecologic surgery. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2008;112(6):1369-1384.
8 Ascher-Walsh CJ, Capes TL. Robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy is an improvement over laparotomy in women with a limited number of myomas. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2010 May-Jun;17(3):306-10. Epub 2010 Mar 19.