Big things happen with smaller incisions
Whether you are contemplating surgical weight loss, have been diagnosed with a hernia or bad gallbladder, discover gentle, compassionate care close to home. At Spectrum Health Lakeland, we're part of a team of 80 da Vinci® surgeons who are specially trained in the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques using the da Vinci® Xi™ Surgical System.
More than 14,000 robotic-assisted surgeries have been performed to date have led to faster healing, less discomfort, more life to live. Some of the most common surgeries performed using the da Vinci are:
1,000 safety checks per second
Lakeland surgeons use the da Vinci® Xi™ Surgical Systems to see inside the body more clearly and perform complex surgeries through tiny incisions.The da Vinci robot performs over 1,000 safety checks per second and allows for a whole new level of safer, more complex surgical treatment. This state-of-the-art technology allows patients to receive the advanced treatment they need, without leaving our community.
Compared to conventional surgery, da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery may provide a number of benefits including:
- Faster recovery
- Less pain
- Minimal scarring
- Reduced blood loss and need for blood transfusions
- Reduced risk of infection
- Single site incision
- Shorter hospital stays
- Smaller incisions
Nov 6, 2017 Reporting from Niles, MI
Quit Running From Pain - John Ruder
https://www.spectrumhealthlakeland.org/medical-services/surgery/types-of-surgery/da-vinci-robotic-surgery-two/Detail/Quit-Running-From-Pain/9b3c6aad-c230-6723-add8-ff0100ca780f/?utm_source=Quit_Running_From_Pain&utm_medium=PatientStory_Landing&utm_campaign=InternalPages
Nov 6, 2017
Nov 6, 2017
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
A typical day for John Ruder, 66, includes lifting weights, going for a run, working on his house, and running his web design business. To say John leads a busy life, is an understatement. But all of these things started to slow down three years ago
Quit Running From Pain - John Ruder
SpectrumHealth Lakeland
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Quit Running From Pain - John Ruder
Nov, 2017
Physicians: Michael Webb, MD
A typical day for John Ruder, 66, includes lifting weights, going for a run, working on his house, and running his web design business. To say John leads a busy life, is an understatement. But all of these things started to slow down three years ago when he began to feel a pain in his abdomen.
“Standing for more than five minutes was extremely uncomfortable,” said John. “I would have to stop what I was doing and sit down.”
John continued to deal with the discomfort until one day he noticed a lump, bulging out from the painful area.
“When I saw the lump show up, I knew right away it was a hernia,” said John.
John was no stranger to this feeling. In 2001, he had a hernia repaired through traditional surgical methods and while the procedure went well, the recovery had been somewhat difficult.
“I was laid up for two weeks,” said John. “I couldn’t carry anything over five pounds, the stiches made me hunch, and there was a tightness in my abdomen when I tried to stand up straight.”
So when John met with general surgeon, Michael Webb, MD, and learned that the da Vinci® robotic surgery was an option this time, he was curious to learn more.
“Dr. Webb was so thorough with his explanation of how the surgery would go and what to expect — I learned so much about the surgery I think I could have done it myself,” laughed John.
In June of 2016, John underwent minimally invasive surgery. While Dr. Webb was repairing the original hernia he found two other areas where the abdominal wall had weakened, which could have become problematic later on. To avoid future surgeries, Dr. Webb repaired these areas as well while John was still in surgery.
“If I had the hernia repaired through traditional methods, it is not likely Dr. Webb would have seen the other two spots,” said John. “But because he was using the robot, he was able to get a more clear picture of the surrounding areas and potentially saved me from having two future surgeries.”
Before being discharged, Dr. Webb explained that John should wait a couple weeks to do any heavy lifting, but anything else would be fine as long as he didn’t overdo it and continued to feel good.
“The recovery from da Vinci surgery was amazing,” said John. “In fact, two days after surgery I was shingling my garage roof.”
John is now back to his busy schedule and shows no signs of slowing down.
“I let the pain from the hernia disrupt my life for too long,” said John. “Since having the surgery I am able to stand, run, lift, work, and live my life pain free.”