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In the simplest of terms, a hernia occurs when an organ or tissue pushes through a weak spot in the surrounding muscle or tissue. And when it comes to repairing a hernia, surgery is often the best solution. In fact, there are 800,000 inguinal hernia repairs alone in the United States each year. In an effort to minimize the impact of the surgery and to improve outcomes, many doctors are turning to laparoscopic, robot-assisted hernia repairs.
At our practice, Dr. Gabriel Akopian counts himself among those forward-thinking surgeons who are using this new technology to quickly and easily repair hernias. The advantages of robot-assisted surgical repair are numerous, as our patients in Pasadena, California, can attest.
Here’s a look at those advantages and why robot-assisted surgery may be the best choice for your hernia repair.
When we mention robot-assisted surgery, a futuristic image of a robot in the operating room, wheeling around with mechanical arms may pop into your mind. In reality, our robot-assisted surgery strikes the perfect blend between human experience and robotic accuracy to improve your surgery.
To start, the “robot” is actually made up of precision instruments that are completely under Dr. Akopian’s control. Using a special console, Dr. Akopian guides the instruments using hand controls, which translate his movements through the instruments in very small spaces.
Traditionally, a hernia repair meant opening the abdominal area so that the surgeon could access it visually and manually. With robot-assisted surgery, Dr. Akopian makes only small incisions, through which he guides a camera and the small robotic arms. The camera provides him with a real-time, 3D view of the area, which he uses to guide the instruments. The robotic arms provide Dr. Akopian with more precision and accuracy when it comes to the repair.
The bottom line is that Dr. Akopian is in control the entire time, but through the use of this advanced technology, he can greatly minimize the impact of the surgery.
Our use of robot-assisted laparoscopy for repairing hernias provides our patients with many benefits, including:
The precision and reduced collateral tissue damage that this type of surgery affords ultimately means that your recovery time is greatly reduced.
Any time Dr. Akopian is repairing a hernia, he makes every effort to perform it using minimally invasive techniques. And in most cases, he’s able to accomplish this goal. But some hernias may require an open surgery, depending upon their location, previous surgeries, or the extent of the hernia repair.
Rest assured, we sit down with you beforehand and thoroughly review your hernia and your medical history to determine the best course of action. The odds are that you may be a candidate for robot-assisted surgery, but we won’t know for sure until we fully evaluate your unique situation.
To get started on evaluating your hernia, please contact us at 626-788-4095.
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