“As you get older, it makes a difference how your surgery is done. If I’d had the open surgery, my recovery would have been more painful and difficult. Instead, I’m doing great.”
Two years ago, Shirley Gabrish had never heard of a surgical robot. But now, thanks to a robot — and the expert team at Somerset Medical Center — the 75-year-old is no longer coping with abdominal pain from a large gallstone.
Instead, she has a few tiny scars, her good health and a deep appreciation for the top-notch care she received. “It’s unbelievable — if you looked at my stomach, you would never know all the work that was done inside me,” she says.
A Big Problem
Pain drove the Raritan resident to her physician in early 2011. X-rays revealed the culprit: A stone more than an inch in diameter was lodged between her liver and gallbladder.
Such stones are often removed through the esophagus, but Gabrish’s was too large. Her doctors put in a tube near the stone — a temporary solution — and referred her to general surgeon Obi Imegwu, MD, at Somerset Medical Center. “They told me he had magic hands,” she says.
“Shirley needed surgery to remove the stone and reconnect all the parts of her digestive system,” Dr. Imegwu says. This operation is often done through a large abdominal incision, requiring three days in the hospital. “When I saw her, I decided we could do it robotically, which would mean a quicker recovery and lower risk for complications.”
New Solutions
Dr. Imegwu performed Gabrish’s operation in May 2011 using theda Vinci Surgical System. He controlled the robot’s tiny, precise instruments while seated at a console in the operating room. A monitor offered him a 3-D, high-definition view inside her body.
The surgery required intricate cuts and stitches, but the robot was up to the task. “The instruments can swivel and rotate just like a wrist, making subtle, delicate moves inside the body,” Dr. Imegwu says. The small incisions mean less risk for complications, including breathing difficulties and pneumonia.
A Speedy Recovery
Gabrish went home one day after surgery, and was back to her job at a local store within two weeks. “I got a prescription for pain medication, but never needed it,” she says. “As you get older, it makes a difference how your surgery is done. If I’d had the open surgery, my recovery would have been more painful and difficult. Instead, I’m doing great.”
As Somerset Medical Center surgeons expand the use of new technologies, more procedures are done with the robot’s help, Dr. Imegwu notes. Other general surgeries performed at the medical center — both robotically and using other approaches — include:
- Appendectomy
- Gallbladder removal
- Hernia repair
- Weight-loss surgery