Surgery can be the best option for some gynecologic problems. At Penn Medicine, we specialize in minimally invasive procedures that take place through small incisions. When appropriate, our gynecologic surgeons use robotic technology to perform select procedures.
Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Penn: Why Choose Us?
When you come to Penn for gynecologic surgery, you benefit from:
- Surgical expertise: Other doctors in the region send their patients to us. We help women with complicated medical situations avoid major abdominal surgery. We can help you, too.
- Team approach: When appropriate, we coordinate procedures with other departments, such as urogynecology and gynecologic oncology. We perform multiple procedures during one surgery. This approach minimizes the number of surgeries you need.
- Comprehensive treatments: Our surgeons have the expertise to treat a variety of gynecologic problems using the latest minimally invasive approaches. Our proficiency in advanced robotic techniques sets us apart from other centers in the region.
What Are the Benefits of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery?
Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery helps you avoid a large abdominal incision. Our surgeons perform procedures using several small incisions. Each incision typically measures less than one inch.
You benefit from:
- Faster return to normal activities
- Less postoperative pain
- Lower risk of infection and complications
- Minimal scarring
- Reduced blood loss during surgery
- Shorter hospital stay
Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Options
We use the latest minimally invasive approaches, including robotic techniques, to perform a range of gynecologic surgeries.
Minimally invasive surgical options include:
Hysteroscopy
We use a hysteroscope, which is a thin lighted camera that projects onto a video screen, to diagnose and treat uterine abnormalities that cause heavy bleeding. Your doctor inserts the hysteroscope through the vagina into the uterus.
A hysteroscopy does not involve an incisions and has minimal discomfort. It’s an outpatient procedure, which means you go home the same day.
Your doctor may use hysteroscopy to:
- Treat heavy bleeding by removing polyps abnormal growths
- Rule out or diagnose cancers, such as endometrial cancer
- Remove retained pregnancy tissue, abnormal scar tissue, and retained IUDs.
- Remove noncancerous growths, including uterine fibroids, polyps and scar tissue
Laparoscopy
A laparoscope is a thin, lighted tube with a video camera on one end. Your surgeon inserts the laparoscope into the pelvic region through a small abdominal incision. While looking at images from the camera, your surgeon performs procedures through other small abdominal incisions.
Our surgeons use laparoscopy to treat a variety of conditions that once required large abdominal incisions.
We may use laparoscopy surgery to:
- Determine the cause of pelvic pain
- Perform hysterectomies (surgical removal of the uterus and cervix)
- Perform tubal ligations (permanent sterilization or birth control that involves cutting or blocking the fallopian tubes)
- Remove uterine fibroids (myomectomy) and ovarian cysts (cystectomy)
- Treat ectopic pregnancies (fertilized egg that grows outside of the uterus)
Robotic-assisted surgery
Advanced robotic technology enables your surgeon to perform complex surgeries with even greater precision. We use robotic technology to perform the same procedures as laparoscopic surgery.
We use the highly advanced da Vinci® surgical system. Here’s how robotic-assisted surgery works:
- One arm of the robotic device has a high-definition camera. This arm enters a small abdominal incision. It sends magnified 3D images of the pelvic region to a computer.
- Other arms of the robotic device hold tiny specialized surgical instruments. These arms enter other small abdominal incisions.
- Your surgeon looks at the camera images and uses a computer to control and guide the surgical instruments.
- The robotic arms can reach areas that would be impossible for a human hand to achieve without a large incision.
Request an Appointment
To request an appointment, please call 800-789-7366 or complete our online form.