NORTH TEXAS – In April, Texas Health Dallas became one of the first health systems in the world to adopt a new robotic system and now has prestigious recognition for the program.
“This is a great tool and really revolutionary,” said Dr. Rachel Haverland, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Texas Health Dallas who specializes in treating endometriosis.
She is one of more than 20 gynecological surgeons trained to perform a variety of surgeries with the assistance of the da Vinci 5 robot, including hysterectomies, fibroid removals, and endometriosis removals. is.
“Robots are not performing surgery,” Dr. Haverland said. “I’m moving my arm. The robot won’t do anything unless we tell it what to do.”
Dr Haverland says using this technique reduces the patient’s risk of complications such as blood loss and infection.
“They have access to this high-quality surgery and evidence-based care, which ultimately results in better outcomes for both fertility and pelvic pain,” Dr. Haverland said. spoke.
One of her patients, Sydney Booth, said the surgery had changed her life. Ms. Booth, 36, is a hairdresser from Carrollton.
“I went from literally having to call clients and cancel appointments because I couldn’t move because of the pain, to being able to stand and work all day again,” she said.
Booth had been battling chronic pain for decades. She visited doctors for years until she finally received a diagnosis of endometriosis.
“I’ve been told for decades and years, ‘Oh, I’m having a bad period, so let’s use birth control,’ or ‘Let’s do this, let’s do that,’ and that’s never the answer. I did,” Booth said. “It was just a Band-Aid.”
Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the endometrium grows outside the uterus. It affects one in 10 girls and women and causes a variety of symptoms.
“These women, especially the women who come to see me over and over again, have been suffering for some time,” Dr. Havaland said. “It usually takes about 7 to 10 doctors and up to 10 years for a true diagnosis of endometriosis to be made, so in order for the hospital to give us their time, It’s really great that they’ve really encouraged us to provide this resource for our patients.”It’s an opportunity to be able to give them treatment options when it comes to surgery. ”
Booth wants other women to know there are better options, like this robot-assisted surgery, to deal with the pain of endometriosis.
“Don’t let your doctor ignore you and tell you it’s okay, because it’s not okay,” Booth says.
Texas Health Dallas has performed 566 robot-assisted surgeries so far this year. In 2023, more than 600 procedures were completed.
The Women’s Robotic Surgery Program recently earned the prestigious designation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery from the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC). SRC, a patient safety organization, provides certification to surgical facilities and medical professionals around the world.
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