Karmanos Leads the Way in Robotic Technology

As a nationally recognized leader in cancer treatment, the Karmanos Cancer Center offers metro Detroit’s widest variety of urologic and gynecologic cancer treatment options – including minimally invasive robotic surgery using the state-of-the-art da Vinci® Surgical System. Furthermore, Karmanos is one of only two locations in Michigan using this system for minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

Patient Benefits
Minimally invasive surgery (also known as MIS, laparoscopic, or endoscopic surgery) allows Karmanos physicians to perform many types of surgical procedures through 1-2 cm incisions. For most patients, a minimally invasive approach offers substantial benefits including:

• Shorter hospital stay
• Less pain and scarring
• Less risk of infection
• Less blood loss and fewer transfusions
• Faster recovery

Types of Cancers Treated
The state-of-the-art robotic surgery system is often used in minimally invasive urologic cancer surgery, but the Karmanos Cancer Center is one of only two locations in Michigan using it for minimally invasive gynecologic cancer surgery. Robert T. Morris, M.D., associate professor of gynecologic oncology at the Karmanos Cancer Center and Wayne State University are experts in laparoscopic surgery using the robot-assisted da Vinci® Surgical System.

Enabling Technology
By dramatically enhancing visualization, precision, control and dexterity, the da Vinci® System overcomes the limitations of traditional laparoscopic technology, helping Karmanos physicians perform complex surgery in a manner never before experienced. With enhanced surgical capabilities, physicians are now able to extend the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to the broadest possible range of patients.

Robot-assisted technology allows the surgeon to operate in three dimensions and the ends of the instruments have precise articulation. They can actually turn 360 degrees, so they are more like human wrists.

“Think of it like this: Traditional laparoscopy is like trying to tie a knot with knitting needles. Robotic-assisted surgery is more like tying a knot with your own hands,” explains Michael Cher, M.D., chief of urology at the Karmanos Cancer Center and associate professor of urology and pathology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. “Robot-assisted surgery offers greater precision and greater vision of structures inside the body so we can perform much more precise surgery.”

The system cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own. The da Vinci System requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from your surgeon. The System has been successfully used in tens of thousands of minimally invasive procedures worldwide.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 1-800-KARMANOS (1-800-527-6266).