North Cypress Medical Center doctor performs one of first robotic whipple surgeries in Houston area

Friday, March 13, 2015

North Cypress Medical Center is on the cutting edge of surgical services as one of the first hospitals in the greater Houston area, along with staff surgeon Dr. S. Manny Ayyar, to perform the Fully Robotic Whipple Surgical Procedure or a Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

The Whipple procedure is the most common surgical treatment for cancerous or benign tumors of the head of the pancreas, duodenum, or the common bile duct.

The Whipple procedure involves the removal of the head of the pancreas, bile duct, duodenum, part of the stomach, and the gallbladder. Then the remaining pancreas and digestive organs are reconnected. This requires a large incision to access each organ.

The Robotic Whipple procedures involves a surgeon maneuvering the robotic arms of the da Vinci Surgical System through several small incisions, resulting in less pain, shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, and minimal scarring and blood loss. For those patients needing additional cancer treatment, the shortened recovery time will allow them to begin their chemotherapy and radiation sooner.

Benefits of the Robotic Whipple vs. the traditional Open Whipple procedure

• Reduced post-operative pain
• Less blood loss
• Faster return to eating
• Less scarring
• Shorter hospital stay
• Shortened recovery time allowing patients to begin chemotherapy and radiation sooner

North Cypress Medical Center is one of an elite group of hospitals across the United States offering the state-of-the-art fully Robotic Whipple Surgery. On February 19, 2015, Dr. S. Manny Ayyar along with partner, Dr. Jorge Leiva performed one of the first Robotic Whipple procedures in the greater Houston area at North Cypress Medical Center. The patient went home in three days. Two weeks later, she is already ready to start further oncological therapy.

“The Robotic Whipple allows us to precisely perform a complex operation without compromising basic principles of cancer surgery. It also enhances the patient’s care with less pain, reduced scarring and allows them to recover much faster. We are thrilled to be able to bring this procedure to the Houston area at North Cypress Medical Center,” states Dr. Ayyar.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 49,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States in 2015. It is a leading cause of cancer death largely because there are no detection tools to diagnose the disease in its early stages, when surgical removal of the tumor is still possible. By the time many are diagnosed, some patients may be too ill to tolerate the traditional open procedure. The Robotic Whipple procedure offers a second chance for those patients, as well as the many others that require the surgery.

Robotic surgery is an innovative technology that is beneficial for certain abdominal operations and conditions. It provides minimally invasive approaches to very complex procedures which results in a quicker return to normal activities with less pain while giving the surgeon a three dimensional, magnified, and high definition view of the operative field. Besides the Robotic Whipple, North Cypress offers Robotic Gastric Bypass surgery, Robotic Hysterectomy and Robotic Prostatectomy surgery.

 

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/