six holes!

Serious question, with this robotic surgery I have four cuts (two on each side) and one above the belly button and one to the side of the belly button total of six openings.I thought there would be only five.Is this correct?

May mean your surgeon is thinking about how well the process works. I found and extra, and asked. He explained that the normal process requires the instruments (arms) be pulled out when they need to change tooltips or pass in suture materials and the like. To make this less difficult, the "best practice" is to have an additional port opened so that the process is easier. Yes, a little more invasive, but he thinks it is worth the extra scar.

So I was told, and got the same explanation from a well-known national surgeon when I brought it up during a presentation.

John.

The large incision is for the camera, and is also the one they take the bagged prostate out through, as it was explained to me.

Can't have been a big deal for me as I could not immediately remember how many I had.
I had 6:
one for gas to inflate belly,
one for the drain,
one for camera/lighting
three for instruments one of which was widened at the end for the removal of the prostate.
my problem is due to the way wounds heal on my skin so I have some big red scars more than two years after surgery. (I get keloid scars). BUT as one of the holes did not turn into a keloid scar and is now more or less invisible I think it may have been a spare hole that was got ready but never used and thus it has healed better.

Another problem with keloid scars is that they ache and itch, so 26 months after surgery I can still notice the presence of the biggest scar every day. but a cream (called E45 in Britain) helps soothe things.

Alf

 

I had no drain tube, thankfully but with the big hole above the belly button I had 6 total. My URP explained that to me before surgery. He said the first generation Davinci required 5 holes total but the newest model which my hospital just got last Spring uses 6, the extra hole is for one more instrument arm than the old models had.

Terry

Amick, my email is listed, give me a shout.
You are right about the tube, kinda icky feeling when that thing was removed.
BTW, I'm in the Loveland area.

Presumably a surgeon makes six holes, so that if he does three operations a day he can fit in 18 holes.
Alf

English Alf said...
Presumably a surgeon makes six holes, so that if he does three operations a day he can fit in 18 holes.
Alf

If the surgeon makes a mistake on one of the holes does he get a "Mulligan"