Saint Peter’s University Hospital has long been acknowledged as a leader in women’s health for its nationally recognized obstetrical and gynecological care, including the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. Dusan Perisic, MD, FACOG, the director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Saint Peter’s and the associate program director of the hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program, is skilled in treating endometriosis through robotic-assisted surgery via the da Vinci® Surgical System.
Endometriosis is a disease of the women’s reproductive system. It occurs when endometrium — the tissue that lines the uterus or womb — grows outside of the uterus on other organs of the body. More than five million women in the U.S. have endometriosis. While it can occur during the teen years and in any woman who still has a menstrual period, it is most common in women in their 30s and 40s.
Endometriosis can be found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the outer surface of the uterus, the lining of the pelvic cavity, the vagina, the cervix and other parts of the body including the bowel, bladder and rectum. Symptoms include inflammation and scar tissue that can cause pelvic pain and infertility. Sometimes the endometrial tissue binds organs together or grows into the ovaries or blocks fallopian tubes. Endometriosis may be found in up to half of women with significant pelvic pain or painful periods and up to 70 percent of women with infertility.
To treat endometriosis, women can undergo robotic surgery where endometriotic lesions are excised, endometriotic cysts are removed from the ovaries and scar tissue in the pelvis is broken and removed. With this type of conservative surgery, women can gain relief while also retaining their fertility. Endometriosis can also be treated with a robotic hysterectomy, where the uterus is removed. Robotic surgery can also be used to remove the fallopian tubes and ovaries, eliminating the disease.
The da Vinci Surgical System puts a surgeon’s hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robotic platform, enabling them to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision. It is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to expand the surgeon’s capabilities and offer a minimally invasive option for major surgery. The surgeon makes small incisions in the patient to introduce miniaturized instruments with wrist-like movements and a high-definition 3D camera. Seated at the da Vinci console, Dr. Perisic views a magnified, high-resolution 3D image of the surgical site. At the same time, state-of-the-art robotic and computer technologies scale, filter and seamlessly translate Dr. Perisic’s hand movements into precise micro-movements of the wristed instruments. The system cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own. All movements are performed by the surgeon at the console.
Women who undergo robotic surgery for endometriosis experience less pain and less bleeding and can expect to go home the same day and return to work in one week.
To learn more about gynecologic surgery at Saint Peter’s, visit saintpetershcs.com/gynsurgery. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Perisic, call 732-339-7762.
Dusan Perisic, MD, FACOG, the director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Saint Peter’s University Hospital.,
