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Gynecologist at Presence Women's Center Among the First to Offer Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy

Area women have a growing number of options to consider when faced with a hysterectomy – the second-most common female surgery performed today.

Single-site robotic hysterectomy using the da Vinci robotic system is the latest procedure, and board-certified gynecologist Nahla Merhi, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., on staff at the Presence Women’s Center in New Lenox, is among the first anywhere to offer this minimally invasive procedure that hastens recovery and results in little or no scarring.

The entire surgical procedure is performed with just one single incision in the belly button or navel, through which the physician removes the patient’s uterus. Because the incision is so small, the surgery is virtually scar-free.

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“Women today are looking for options that reduce discomfort and recovery time,” Dr. Merhi said. “And single-site robotic surgery offers both.”

Physicians perform hysterectomy to treat a wide variety of uterine conditions. Each year, in the U.S. alone, doctors perform approximately 600,000 hysterectomies. An estimated one third of all U.S. women will have a hysterectomy by age 60.

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Traditionally, abdominal hysterectomies are performed with open surgery, requiring a wide incision below the navel. The procedure can be painful, involve heavy pain medications, an increased risk of infection and significant blood loss. Vaginal hysterectomy is another option.

Less invasive options include conventional laparoscopy and robotic surgery, which both offer the promise of less invasive surgery to treat benign and cancerous gynecologic conditions. These approaches, in which several small surgical incisions are made in the abdomen instead of one large incision, lead to faster recovery times, less pain and a better experience for women who need a hysterectomy or other gynecologic procedure. 
 


Single-site surgery takes it a step further, allowing surgeons to perform complex abdominal procedures through a single, tiny incision in the belly button. Benefits include a cosmetically hidden surgical scar at the base of the navel.

“The navel is the thinnest part of the abdominal wall, with few nerves, blood vessels and little muscle, so patients may avoid incisions through their abdominal muscles and experience less pain after the surgery,” she said.

During a robotic-assisted single-site procedure, the surgeon sits at the robotic console, viewing a 3-D, high-definition camera image of the surgical site. The surgeon uses hand controls to move the camera and instruments – controls that translate hand, wrist and finger movements into more precise movements of the smaller instruments inside the patient – in real time. The entire procedure takes about an hour.

A patient having a single-site hysterectomy will go home from the hospital within a day of the surgery and be back to a normal routine in two weeks, compared with a three-day hospital stay and a six-week recovery period for a traditional hysterectomy.

“While robotic-assisted hysterectomy that uses several incisions isn’t new, performing the surgery through a single incision is,” Dr. Merhi said.

Dr. Merhi has performed more than 250 robotic hysterectomies and was among the first in the U.S. trained to perform the single-site technique.

In addition to performing the highly advanced, single-site hysterectomy, Dr. Merhi has special expertise in treating uterine fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, excessive bleeding, and cervical and uterine cancer, also using robotic methods.

She is accepting appointments at the Presence Women’s Center, located in the Presence Healing Arts Pavilion, 410 E. Lincoln Highway, in New Lenox. To make an appointment with Dr. Merhi, call 815.462.5566.

And for women experiencing pelvic pain and dysfunction, urinary incontinence, bowel dysfunction, lower back pain, and general chronic pain, the Presence Women’s Center offers Pelvic Power Boot Camp, a five-week series, at the Presence Healing Arts Pavilion.

At each hour-long session, specially trained physical therapists focus on treatments specific to each participant, while incorporating overall support in an enjoyable group atmosphere. Participants can win spa packages to the Presence Women’s Center and Spa.

Fee is $40 for the five-week series; exercise mats and bottled water will be provided.

For more information about upcoming Pelvic Power Boot Camp dates and times, call 877.737.4636.

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