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Oct 23, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
Health: Robotic Technology Aiding Pregnancy
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
There is new age technology treating a common, but difficult female problem and helping women get pregnant.
After years of disappointment, Raiza Tepedino is finally pregnant. A surgical robot called DaVinci helped make the shopping seemingly impossible dream come true.
Raiza is like millions of women who struggle to get pregnant. Fertility drops dramatically after age 35 and she had painful fibroid tumors, but she and her husband were desperate to have a baby.
"I think that's the most wonderful thing that a woman can do, so I wanted to be a part of that club," said Raiza.
Larry Barmat, with Abington Reproductive medicine, says fibroid tumors are typically removed surgically, but that often causes scar tissue that can interfere with fertility, but not with the robot.
"We're able to do quite complex surgical procedures through a minimally invasive approach," said Barmat.
The surgical robot uses laparoscopic instruments and a magnified camera inserted through tiny puncture holes. The surgeon operates from a console.
"You're looking through binocular vision. You're seeing depth perception and then you're basically going to move three robotic arms using finger controls and foot pedals," said Dr. Barmat. "It's definitely very, very exciting technology," he continued.
It was a quick and easy recovery for Raiza who then had invitro fertilization. She's 41 now. The baby is due in late December.
"I just couldn't believe that it was actually true," she told us. "It's going great," she said.
So far the robot is only being used to remove fibroids in fertility patients. It's also being used to reverse tubal ligations, again much easier with the less invasive technology.
RELATED LINK:
http://www.abingtonreproductivemedicine.com/
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