Surgery News and Events - Baptist Health System

Retiree Calls da Vinci Surgery 'Better Than Birthday Cake'

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Betty H. Williams, 70, had a complete hysterectomy on Sept. 6, 2011, her 70th birthday. The surgery was performed by James (Jowell) Wilder, M.D., who specializes in gynecologic surgical oncology at North Central Baptist Hospital.

But Dr. Wilder has put his surgical technique on the path of the future-robotic surgery with the advanced da Vinci SI surgical system .

Williams, a retired schoolteacher, says she is thankful for the advanced robotic technique Dr. Wilder used for her birthday surgery. "Even though I didn't get cake, it was a great birthday present."

Dr. Wilder began embracing robotic surgery in mid-2007 to help his patients in their fight against vaginal, uterine, ovarian, cervical, and vulvar cancers. A third-generation South Texas physician, Dr. Wilder was impressed with presentations on robotically-performed surgeries in 2006.

He was especially struck by the drastically lower amount of blood loss with robotic surgery, as well as lower patient risk, less pain, and shorter hospital stays.

"It was very clear to me that would be the new standard of care," says Dr. Wilder.

Surgical incisions are smaller, he explains, so there is less blood loss and pain, as well as less scarring.

"I see a lot of different benefits to (robotic surgery)," says Dr. Wilder. "The outcomes for the patients are very good. There are nuances to the technology that allow me, when I sit down and think about what patients say to me about their surgeries and successes, to realize all the benefits."

Like Betty H. Williams, Georgia Priour, 63, underwent a complete hysterectomy performed robotically by Dr. Wilder. Georgia Priour is a social worker who works with death and dying and patients with cancer diagnoses. When she, herself, was diagnosed with uterine cancer, her world stopped.

"I was shocked and fear set in," she says. "You never think it will happen to you."

Her gynecologist suggested she see Dr. Wilder for robotic, instead of laparoscopic, surgery.

"Dr. Wilder put me at ease right away," Georgia Priour says. "He explained it and took such time with me. He created an atmosphere of trust. I just can't say enough about him."
She had her surgery at North Central Baptist Hospital, where she spent less than 24 hours after the surgery.

"I love that hospital," she says. "All the staff, I just can't say enough good things about them."

And also like Betty Williams, Georgia Priour had no pain after surgery.

"I had to watch to not over-do because I felt so good," she says. "And my scars are so tiny."

Georgia Priour says it is amazing to think about how robotics has advanced surgical techniques. She also says she has complete confidence in Dr. Wilder and his ability and knowledge of robotic surgical techniques.

"I hope other women will not be afraid to have robotic surgery," she says. "This doctor knows what he's doing."

The complex da Vinci SI robot does require a skilled surgeon, says Dr. Wilder. "The robotic hands are mimicking your same movements." Think of a complicated version of the Wii game system, only in the hands of a skilled physician.

In the past three years, Dr. Wilder has performed more than 500 robotic surgeries. He believes so strongly in the benefits of robotic surgery that he now trains other physicians in robotic surgical techniques.

Another major benefit of robotic surgery that may not be immediately apparent, says Dr. Wilder, is that it allows for a larger number of women to be able to have surgery without complications. For obese patients, robotic surgery reduces wound infections, says Dr. Wilder. And now older patients can get the same surgeries performed robotically as younger women, he adds. Another benefit is that after robotic surgery, patients heal faster so that they can continue to other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy faster than with traditional surgeries, helping them more in their fight against cancer.

"For me, it's made my practice very beneficial to my patients," says Dr. Wilder.

Patient Betty H. Williams says her hospital stay was short and her recovery time quick. "I had no pain," she says. "I had to remind myself when I got home that I'd had surgery so that I could slow down."

She plans to resume an active lifestyle and return to swimming three days each week.

"I think anyone who experiences this type of surgery with Dr. Wilder is very lucky, and I can't imagine why they wouldn't be happy with it," she says.

Likewise, Georgia Priour also has a good prognosis, being told she was 99 percent cured after the surgery, even without further treatments. She returned to work within six weeks after her surgery, and she says she now has new insights into the people with whom she works.

"For me, being in hospice, I really understand what it feels like to be diagnosed with cancer," she says. "It's helped me even more to not take things for granted."

New Minimally Invasive Procedure; Safer for Atrial Fibrillation

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

St. Luke's Baptist Hospital is one of the first hospitals in the country using a new robotic catheter system to treat heart rhythm problems that can cause strokes. Dr. David Pederson is chief of cardiology at St. Luke's in San Antonio�and is one of only 20 doctors in the country currently trained to use the new technology.

Electrical problems in the heart are traditionally treated by inserting a catheter into the heart and using radiofrequency energy to burn tiny scars in problem areas which gets the heart beating correctly again. With the robot, doctors can get to areas they couldn't reach before and can guide the catheter with much more control and stability. 53-year-old Jose Lopez has suffered from atrial fibrillation for many years.�

Atrial Fibrillation

He recently underwent the new minimally invasive procedure, performed by Dr. Pederson in the electrophysiology lab at St. Luke's Baptist Hospital. "It's a tightness in the chest, and it slows me down." says Lopez. "So I'm looking forward to having more energy, and playing more golf after the procedure," he says with a smile.

Dr. Pederson operates a robot from a control station a few feet away from where Lopez lies awake on the operating table. Computer calculations cut down on the time it takes to complete the procedure and gives the surgeon a more exact picture of what's going on as compared to maneuvering the catheter by hand. "It's also safer and more efficient," Pederson says.

Nearly two million people in the U.S. suffer from atrial fibrillation. The inadequate blood flow to the body can lead to stroke. This happens when blood left in the heart pools and forms clots that can dislodge and travel to the brain. According to the American College of Cardiology, some 75,000 strokes occur each year as a result of atrial fibrillation. Correcting heart rhythm problems is crucial in preventing disability and deaths from strokes.�

David Pederson, MD, is a member in good standing of the medical staff at St. Luke's Baptist Hospital.�However, physicians are independent contractors who are neither employees nor agents of�St. Luke's Baptist Hospital�or of the Baptist Health System and as a result, Baptist Health System is not responsible for the acts of Dr. Pederson in�his medical practice.

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North Central Baptist Hospital Adds Robot to Team of Caregivers

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A new staff member with world-class expertise has joined the surgical team at North Central Baptist Hospital in Stone Oak. The da Vinci Surgical robot is literally the surgeon's right and left hand man in the operating room, extending the surgeon's capabilities and offering a host of benefits to patients undergoing surgery.

"We decided to invest in this technology because we want to offer the latest and best technology available today to our patients and their physicians," said Jack Cleary, president of North Central Baptist Hospital."

Robotic-assisted surgery may be called for to treat a range of gynecologic conditions such as cervical and uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis,�uterine prolapse, hysterectomy and�menorrhagia or excessive bleeding just to name a few. Robotic surgery can correct these gynecological conditions in a much less invasive manner than traditional open surgery. Robotic surgery results in much smaller scars, less pain, less blood loss, and a faster return to normal activities. Through tiny, 1-2 cm incisions, surgeons using the da Vinci System can operate with greater precision and control, minimizing the pain and risk associated with large incisions while increasing the likelihood of a fast recovery and excellent clinical outcomes.

Robotic-assisted heart surgery also offers a minimally-invasive alternative to open heart surgery that has many advantages over traditional heart surgery. Instead of the large zipper-like incision, splitting of the breast bone and lengthy recovery time which results from traditional open surgery, robotic heart surgery involves only four small incisions. Recovery is made in days as opposed to weeks. Bypass surgery and mitral valve repair are among the many procedures performed robotically by surgeons expertly trained in operation of the robot.

For more information on robotically assisted surgery or any of the many other services provided by the expert team of doctors and nurses who provide care at North Central Baptist Hospital, please call 297-7005.

What's New at St. Luke's?

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Minimally invasive robotic surgery is quickly becoming the standard of care across the country for many procedures involving heart, gynecological and urological surgery.

St. Luke's is the first hospital in San Antonio that has robotic surgery, giving patients a minimally invasive alternative resulting in less scarring, less blood loss, less pain, less time in the hospital and a quicker recovery. Robotic cardiac surgery for mitral value repair, which is performed at St. Luke's, is considered the standard of care at the Cleveland Clinic, one of the country's most respected health care institutions. A recent random 90 day Infection Control audit at St. Luke's in April, May and June that looked at all chest and heart surgeries revealed that robotic cases had zero post operative infections.

February is Heart Month and St. Luke's Baptist Hospital will be reaching out to the community to provide education and information on preventing, diagnosing and treating heart disease. Look for times and dates for our continuing physician lecture series which is free and open to the public.

St. Luke's Baptist Hospital would like to invite you to join them at the 2008 Healthy Baby and Child Expo going on March 8th at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Health Care professionals from St. Luke's will be part of Baptist Health System's team of health care experts providing a wide variety of information on conceiving and raising healthy children. The Expo is in its 3rd year and is hosted by Baptist Health System, H-E-B, and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.