NORTH TEXAS – In April, Texas Health Dallas became one of the first healthcare systems in the world to adopt a new robotic system and has now received prestigious accreditation for its program.
“It’s a great tool, and it’s really innovative,” says Dr. Rachael Haverland, a gynecologist at Texas Health Dallas who specializes in treating endometriosis.
She is one of more than two dozen gynecological surgeons trained to perform a variety of procedures assisted by the da Vinci 5 robot, such as hysterectomies, fibroid removal and endometriosis resection.
“The robot does not perform the surgery,” Dr. Haverland said. “I move the arms. The robot doesn’t do anything without us telling it what to do.”
Dr. Haverland says using this technology reduces the risk of complications such as blood loss and infection for patients.
“They can undergo this high-quality surgery and evidence-based care and ultimately see better outcomes, both in terms of fertility and pelvic pain,” said Dr. Haverland.
One of her patients, Sydney Booth, said the surgery changed her life. Booth, 36, is a hairstylist in Carrollton.
“I went from literally calling clients and having to cancel appointments because I just couldn’t function because of the pain, to being able to stand again and do my job all day,” she said.
Booth had struggled with chronic pain for decades. It took years of visiting doctor after doctor before she was finally diagnosed with endometriosis.
“I was told for decades, ‘Oh, it’s just a bad period, let’s put you on birth control,’ or ‘let’s do this or let’s do that,’ which was never the answer,” Booth said. “It was just a band-aid.”
Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. It affects one in ten girls and women and causes a variety of symptoms.
“These women, especially the ones who come to see me often, have been suffering for some time,” said Dr. Haverland. “It usually takes about seven to ten doctors and as long as ten years to get a true diagnosis of endometriosis, and that’s why it’s so nice that the hospital has really advocated for us to have this resource for our patients, to give us the time and opportunity to offer them this treatment option if it involves surgery.”
Booth wants other women to know that there are better options, like this robot-assisted surgery, to address the pain of endometriosis.
“Don’t let a doctor turn you down and tell you it’s okay because it’s not,” Booth said.
So far this year, 566 robot-assisted surgeries have been performed at Texas Health Dallas. More than 600 procedures will be completed by 2023.
The Women’s Robotic Surgery program was recently awarded a prestigious accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC). The SRC, a patient safety organization, provides accreditations for surgical institutions and medical professionals worldwide.
Caroline Vandergriff
