New York City, NY (December 11, 2006) – The latest in robot-assisted technology is now being used to perform minimally invasive gynecological surgery for patients at Montefiore Medical Center.  This new tool supplements current minimally invasive procedures for staging endometrial cancer, performing radical hysterectomies in women with cervical cancer and removing benign fibroids, a fairly common condition.

“For our patients, robot-assisted surgery offers all the benefits of a minimally invasive procedure, such as shorter hospital stays, quicker recoveries and a faster return to normal daily activities,” said Dennis Kuo, MD, Assistant Director of the Division of GYN Oncology at Montefiore Medical Center.  “But it also enables us to maneuver in and around organs more easily and accurately, so we can perform procedures even more precisely.”

When engaging the robot, the surgeon is able to sit in a comfortable position at a robotics console and work by viewing an enhanced 3-dimensional image of the patient instead of the 2-dimensional image allowed by the traditional laparoscopic approach.

“The surgeon’s hands precisely maneuver the instruments in the arms of the robot to perform the necessary procedure on the patient,” said Mark Levie, MD, Director of Advanced Gynecologic Endoscopy at Montefiore Medical Center.  “The entire apparatus moves more easily and accurately than my arm or wrist can move, with an amazing dexterity, precision and control. This coupled with the improved 3-dimensional image allows for easier and more accurate surgery.”

“There is a real advantage because the robot’s arms can rotate 360° in any direction, with none of the restrictions in maneuverability that limit the movement of a human hand,” said Dr. Kuo. 

Montefiore surgeons have been performing prostate surgery with robot-assisted technology for more than four years, and more recently have begun using it to assist in various aspects of cardio thoracic surgery. 

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