da Vinci Surgical System
The da Vinci Surgical System is a robotic system that has revolutionized the way that surgery is performed. Today’s system provides many advantages, compared to the initial system, developed in the year 2000. It provides the surgeon with a tridimensional view of the visual field, and is being used in several specialties in medicine, including gynecology. It provides the opportunity to perform more complex surgeries minimally invasive (through several small incisions in the abdomen, like a laparoscopy). In addition, since there is no pressure being exerted in the small abdominal incisions, there is less postoperative pain. Gynecological procedures that can be performed with the da Vinci Surgical System include: Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy, Myomectomy, Resection and/or Fulguration of Endometriotic Implants, Ovarian Cystectomy (removal of ovarian cyst), Oophorectomy (removal of ovary), Lysis of Adhesions, among others. Dr. López-Benítez does the great majority of his surgeries robotically. It provides him greater surgical precision, while at the same time decreases the patient’s postoperative pain and recovery time. Dr. López-Benítez is a proctor for Intuitive Surgical, which gives him the opportunity to travel across the country teaching other gynecologists how to properly use robotic surgery on their patients.