“Robotic surgery has become the first option in the treatment of hernias,” says Dr. Victor Radu, a primary care general surgeon with over-specialization in abdominal wall reconstructive surgery and board-certified in robotic surgery. In a national premiere, he performed robotic surgery using the da Vinci Xi system for the treatment of a complex postoperative hernia using the most advanced surgical techniques for abdominal wall reconstruction. The intervention took place at MedLife Medical Park, the largest medical hub of the MedLife Group.

A 68-year-old patient consulted a doctor with two pronounced swellings in the abdomen. “I knew about this problem for eight years, but kept postponing the operation. Nothing hurt, instead I felt strong physical discomfort due to the bulge in my stomach. In addition, I was afraid that I might end up with intestinal obstruction. So, at the insistence of my daughter and my husband, who was also operated on by Dr. Viktor Radu, I decided to do this intervention.” says Carmen S.

From a medical point of view, the diagnosis is an operative hernia or a complex eventration, taking into account the size of the hernia defects more than 10 centimeters and their location in many topographical areas of the abdominal wall. A hernia occurs at the level of some postoperative scars, being a hernia that has formed through an already existing scar. In this case, the patient had previously undergone two surgical interventions – a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which caused an umbilical herniation of 6 cm, and a retroperitoneal abscess, for which she was operated through an incision on the right side and after which a 15 cm defect developed. In addition to a history of surgical wound infection, an additional factor that contributed to the occurrence of postoperative hernia was the fact that the patient suffered from diabetes.

Although most patients with hernias come to the doctor because of the unpleasant appearance of the “bulges”, the consequences of this condition are not only aesthetic, explains Dr. Radu. “An abdominal wall that is no longer intact can no longer contract effectively, so all physiological functions suffer.”. In addition, if there is no surgical intervention, over time the volume of the hernia progressively increases until it reaches the loss of the home of the hernial organs, due to the fact that they no longer have a place to return to the abdomen.

Robotic surgerya technology that provides greater precision to surgical technique

It is possible to treat postoperative hernias only after surgical intervention by reconstructing the abdominal wall. The operation can be classic, that is, open, laparoscopic or robotic.

In the patient’s case, he chose robotic intervention with the most advanced technology currently available on the medical market, the da Vinci Xi robot. Thus, Dr. Victor Radu, a pioneer in the field of abdominal wall surgery at the European level, performed a robotic operation for the first time in Romania using the most modern surgical technique for abdominal wall reconstruction – eTEP or retro-muscular access. This revolutionary technique was introduced to the world in 2016 by surgeon Igor Beliansky, and in the same year Dr. Radu applied it for the first time in Europe and directly in Romania, at the MedLife Center of Excellence for Hernia Surgery. Since then, the doctor has performed numerous endoscopic procedures to reconstruct the abdominal wall using a retro-muscular approach, but this is the first operation in which he uses the eTEP technique using a robotic approach.

“The eTEP method is known for the effectiveness of muscle recovery and the minimization of discomfort experienced by the patient after surgery. Plus, there’s the added benefit of robotic technology that helps me use this technique with even greater precision. It’s like having several hands, all under the command of one brain”– says doctor Viktor Radu.

Advantages of robotic surgery: safety and precision for the doctor, quick recovery and no pain for the patient

“Robotic surgery has the best result” states Dr. Victor Radu. The da Vinci Xi robot works as an extension of the surgeon, as it allows it to translate the doctor’s instructions in real-time with extremely graceful and precise movements, eliminating any hand tremors or wobbles. In addition, the console from which the robotic arms are coordinated provides a three-dimensional visualization of the structures of the human body and an image magnification of up to 10 times, which provides the visual comfort of the doctor and the ability to identify extremely fine structures and make very precise dissections.

On the other hand, for the 68-year-old patient, the main advantage of the robotic approach was the extremely fast recovery, as well as the minimization of postoperative pain. “The da Vinci robot intervention reduces the risk of complications and helps the patient to recover faster after the operation. In addition, in this case, the patient was discharged only 14 hours after the operation. The absence of pain is another advantage of robotic technology and surgical techniques“, the surgeon adds.

In comparison, classic open surgery cannot do without bleeding, which involves a higher risk of complications, a longer hospital stay, severe pain experienced by the patient, and a more difficult recovery. At the same time, open access through the wound lens carries an additional risk of hernia recurrence.

“Mr. Dr. Victor Radu explained to me that the robotic intervention is more accurate, and the recovery will be much faster. And so it was. I had no problems after the intervention, only a little pain on the right side, but it passed very quickly. I was glad I didn’t have drainage tubes and wasn’t in the hospital for a few days. Compared to the two classic surgeries I did a few years ago, the difference is like heaven and earth. I am sure that technology plays an important role, but also the experience of the doctor is important.”– added the patient.

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The development of the robotic surgery department is part of the first stage of consolidation of the largest medical hub – MedLife Medical Park. Interventions carried out with da Vinci X technology complement the comprehensive preventive, recuperative and surgical services that MedLife provides to its patients in the most powerful medical network in Romania.

Article supported by MedLife