Spring, 2013 - Hartford Hospital!

Beyond Advanced
A hysterectomy through a single
belly button incision
The most common major gynecological
surgical procedure in
procedure. “Before my hysterec-
withheld), who recently had the
the United States, removal of the
tomy, my pain and heavy bleeding
uterus, puts an end to pelvic pain
were worsening. I had been seeing
or troublesome menstrual bleeding.
a doctor in my rural town for two
Hysterectomy once required a
years who refused to do a hysterectomy
because of my age. By the
long incision and left a scar across
the entire abdomen. Laparoscopy
time I finally saw Dr. Shaneyfelt, I
brought advantages over traditional
approaches to “open” abdominal
Benign uterine fibroid tumors
was severely anemic.”
surgery. Minimally invasive techniques
transformed the surgical
or pressure on the bladder or other
can cause pelvic discomfort, pain
landscape with smaller scars, reduced
pain and less blood loss. But
Congress of Obstetricians and
organs. According to the American
even minimally invasive surgery
Gynecologists, one in ten women
usually involves several incisions
of reproductive age in the United
for the camera-tipped scope and
States suffer from endometriosis,
instruments.
a disabling condition that causes
Now a new surgical method
pain and cramping when cells
allows the physician to make only
from the uterine lining spread to
a single incision, or port, just inside
the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, bladder
and bowel.
the belly button. Research shows
that single-port laparoscopic surgery
offers cosmetic advantages,
had tried medications, but her fi-
Although she was only 34, Kim
shorter recovery times and fewer
broids kept growing. “I was astonished
when Dr. Shaneyfelt showed
complications.
“We make an incision, a little
me a picture of the multiple
more than an inch long, just below
tumors that dwarfed my uterus,”
the navel,” said obstetrician-gynecologist
Kristin Shaneyfelt, D.O.
technology and I was happy to
said Kim. “She was open to new
“We insert the camera and instruments
through a port that’s shaped
least amount of scarring possible.”
have my uterus removed with the
sort of like a Tupperware lid. We
Dr. Kristin Shaneyfelt
“Laparoscopic hysterectomy
switch instruments through the
with transvaginal removal of the
same port, cutting and cauterizing (stanching the bleeding)
with little blood loss and good visualization of the triosis,” said Dr. Shaneyfelt. “We close the incision with
uterus is a safe approach for benign fibroids or endome-
abdomen. Then we simply remove the uterus and cervix dissolvable stitches that can’t even be seen six weeks
through the vagina.”
later. One of my patients was concerned about keeping
“My scar isn’t even a half-inch long and it’s hidden in her navel ring, so we made an incision to minimize the
the folds around my belly button,” said Kim (last name scar so she could still wear her jewelry.”
I was surprised that I recovered so quickly,”
said Kim. “I had very little pain after
my hysterectomy. I went home after an
overnight stay in the hospital and was back
at work six weeks later.
3