Methodist Health System | Methodist Richardson Medical Center | Shine | Spring 2015

13 / 20

If you’ve had a gallbladder attack in the past, your chances of
having another one go up significantly. For that reason, doctors
often suggest an operation to remove the gallbladder, called a
cholecystectomy. Fortunately, today’s robotic technology allows
us to do this procedure with only one small incision.
Hello, new technology. Goodbye, gallbladder.
Russ Birdwell, MD, general surgeon at Methodist Richardson
Medical Center, says doctors may recommend gallbladder
removal when the symptoms — abdominal pain, nausea, fever,
or changes in bowel habits — become constant.
“Patients will usually start feeling better the minute they
wake up from surgery,” he says.
While cholecystectomy has always been a relatively
straightforward procedure, Dr. Birdwell says that laparoscopic
technology, including the robotic da Vinci® Surgical System, has
made it better than ever.
“Gallbladder removal used to mean an 8-inch incision, a long
hospital stay, and a six-week recovery,” Dr. Birdwell explains.
“Now it’s a day surgery requiring no hospital stay with a
recovery time of one or two weeks.
“Many patients are also eligible for the da Vinci® Single-Site®
procedure, which allows us to remove the gallbladder through a
single small incision.”
Two of the primary benefits of operating with da Vinci are
the tool’s flexibility and imaging power.
“It’s unbelievable how close the robot gets us to where we
need to be in surgery,” Dr. Birdwell says. “I’ve got 10 times
the optic zoom to work with, and I can maneuver the robotic
instrument like it’s my own hand. It’s so much easier.”
Because the da Vinci robot offers superior control and is
minimally invasive, patients experience less pain at the surgical
incision site and less chance of complications, Dr. Birdwell adds.
“Gallbladder removal has always been a safe surgery,” he says.
“But working with da Vinci adds a whole additional layer of
safety and patient comfort.”
Not your grandmother’s
gallbladder removal
Gallbladder removal with da Vinci Single-Site was so easy that Sara Cederberg
was back to playing with her son, Parker, in no time. Read her full story at
READY FOR ROBOTIC SURGERY?
Learn more about robot-assisted procedures at Methodist at
Methodist Richardson Medical Center • ❁ Spring 2015 9
◂ ROBOTIC SURGERY