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Health Matters: Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center | 9 Robot- Assisted Care From hernias to colorectal cancer, robot-assisted surgery performed at Providence Cedars- Sinai Tarzana gets patients home and back on their feet faster. W hether you have colon or rectal cancer or a relatively benign condition such as a hernia, your surgical options have never been so good. The large majority of these and other abdominal disorders, including Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and rectal prolapse, can be successfully treated using minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. Abdominal surgeries like these have come a long way since the days of traditional "open" operations, which require a large incision, and even laparoscopic procedures, in which tiny instruments and a camera are inserted through very small incisions to provide the surgeon with a view inside the body and access to the organs. "Robot-assisted surgery takes laparoscopic surgery to the next level by making it more precise, allowing us to operate with less trauma to surrounding tissues," says Jeffrey Lake, MD, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Tarzana. Your surgeon sits and operates the instruments at a console near you, and the robotic system translates their hand movements. This allows the surgeon to manipulate the instruments more precisely. "Your surgeon actually performs these procedures and controls the robot, which just assists," Dr. Lake explains. THE ROBOTIC SYSTEM'S BENEFITS Robot-assisted surgery usually takes about as long as traditional open surgery—generally one and a half to four hours, depending on the procedure—and also requires general anesthesia. But there are several advantages. Traditional surgery typically involves a larger incision, a longer hospital stay and recovery time, and more pain and chance of infection. Robot-assisted surgery 's advantages include smaller incisions, fewer infections, less need for narcotic pain medication, and a shorter hospital stay and recovery time. "A simple minimally invasive [robotic] procedure might require a two- or three-night hospital stay, while a complex one might require four or five nights," says Charles Headrick, MD, a colorectal surgeon and the current chief of staff at Providence Cedars- Sinai Tarzana, who, like Dr. Lake, has performed hundreds of these procedures. "But this is compared to the week or longer stay required after traditional surgery." "We are able to perform 75% to 80% of colorectal surgeries in this minimally invasive robot-assisted way with comparable success rates to traditional surgery," Dr. Headrick says. "It is even preferable for obese patients, because a larger incision isn't required, and their recovery will be substantially improved as well." SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT CANDIDATES These procedures are not for everyone, however. "Because the patient's abdomen is inflated with air to allow an easier view and access inside the abdomen, the increased pressure on the diaphragm might make [this kind of surgery] unsuitable for someone with a restrictive lung disease," Dr. Headrick says. "It also might not be right for people who had several previous abdominal surgeries that left them with adhesions or for some fragile elderly patients." "Robot-assisted colorectal surgery uses state-of-the art technology, making these procedures the safest, most advanced ones available," says Dr. Lake. "Any time laparoscopic surgery is indicated, so are these procedures. Their success rates are equivalent to each other and better than for open surgery, and the good news is that the great majority of patients are able to benefit from them and recover and get back to work more quickly." For a physician referral to this program, call our Patient Engagement Center at 888-HEALING (432-5464). COMPLETE COLORECTAL CANCER CARE If you are at risk for colon or rectal cancer or have been diagnosed with it, Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center 's Colorectal Cancer Program can expertly address not only all your medical needs, but your mental, emotional and spiritual needs as well. The specialized multidisciplinary team has many years of combined experience in all aspects of addressing colon and rectal cancers, including prevention, screening, diagnosing and treating them. You will be assisted by a dedicated nurse navigator, who helps patients by coordinating, explaining and easing their way through the entire process, from diagnosis to recovery.

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