First Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy Performed in Los Angeles

In another advanced step for the gynecological field and minimally invasive surgery, Drs. David Ghozland and Marc Winter, performed the first single-site robotic hysterectomy in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 23rd.

The procedure took place at Beverly Hills Regional Surgery Center, one of miVIP surgery centers. It is a fitting place since miVIP was the first Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) in the U.S. to introduce and perform minimally invasive robotic surgery using the da Vinci^® Si™ Surgical System. It is one of the only outpatient surgery centers in the United States that specializes in minimally invasive surgery using robot technology. Procedures that use robotic assistance at miVIP often do not require overnight stays and, in the case of this robotic hysterectomy, the patient was able to go home right after the surgery.

What this means, for the future of women needing hysterectomies, is that gone are the long recoveries (6-8 weeks…), the lengthy hospital stays, the risks of hospital-acquired infections and unsightly scarring that happen with traditional open surgeries. And above all that, the patient can go back to her normal routine within one to two weeks.

Single-site hysterectomies have not yet become commonplace, as only a select number of surgeons across North America have been trained on the da Vinci system and robotic technology is not available at all hospitals. This procedure allows the doctor to make one single incision through the belly button and offers virtually no scarring. By reducing the number of incisions previously used to just one, this further helps minimize discomfort and recovery time. The da Vinci vision system utilizes fluorescence imaging, which increases the visibility of critical muscles, nerve bundles and vasculatures, which gives the surgeon extreme precision and minimizes tissue damage.

Dr. Ghozland, a board certified OB/GYN and gynecological surgeon who currently practices in Santa Monica and is associated with Cedars-Sinal Medical Center in Beverly Hills, St. John’s Health Center and UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, is one of the only doctors in the West Los Angeles area who is trained on the da Vinci system. Dr. Ghozland has performed more robotic hysterectomies than anyone in the West Los Angeles area.

“The fastest growing field in robotic surgery is currently gynecological surgery. miVIP Surgery’s investment in the da Vinci system allows trained doctors to clock in significantly more time in the operating room with the robot than at any of the major hospitals across Los Angeles,” explains Ghozland.

Dr. Winter has performed more than 500 robotic surgeries, publishes papers, gives lectures and trains surgeons across the country in minimally invasive gynecological techniques. Said Winter, “Yesterday’s single-site robotic assisted surgery marks a new milestone in women’s healthcare. Considering that 450,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the US, and 1 in 3 women will undergo a hysterectomy, this is certainly good news for women and the options that we, as surgeons have, as to the future of hysterectomies.“

“Breakthroughs are achieved in the surgical industry regularly, and the best treatment is afforded by the facilities that continually upgrade to state-of-the-art equipment,” says Dr. Issac Verbukh, president and CEO of miVIP Surgery Centers. “Single-site gynecological surgeries have the potential to reach millions of patients and alter their perceptions about the procedure forcing them to halt their normal routines for two months.”