Open Surgery

When medication, lifestyle changes and other non-surgical treatments cannot relieve symptoms, surgery is the accepted treatment for a wide range of conditions. If surgery is recommended, you want to learn as much as you can about all of your surgical options. It is also important to find a doctor and hospital that are right for you.

While surgery is generally the most effective treatment for many conditions, traditional open surgery is highly invasive; it requires a large incision that often leads to a hospital stay of a week or more and lengthy recovery of up to six weeks.^1,2

In fact, open surgery is rarely used for certain procedures such as gastric bypass. This is due to both the drawbacks of open surgery and the widespread success of minimally invasive bariatric (weight loss) surgery. Fortunately, minimally invasive options are available to many patients facing not only gastric bypass surgery, but many other types of procedures.

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.

Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, Patient Information for Laparoscopic Colon Resection from SAGES, www.sages.org, http://www.sages.org/sagespublication.php?doc=PI09
Hellan M, Anderson C, Blenhom JD, Paz B, Pigazzi A. Short-Term Outcomes After Robotic-Assisted Total Mesorectal Excision for Rectal Cancer. Annals of Surgical Oncology. 200710;1245

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