Ovarian Cyst Daily

Source: Hometownannapolis.com

When Elizabeth Handy learned she had an ovarian mass earlier this year, she was eager to get it taken care of quickly.

Not only did the Severna Park resident have work conferences to prepare for, she didn’t want anything to interfere with her daily exercise routine.

So doctors at Greater Baltimore Medical Center gave her the option of single-incision laparoscopic surgery, where surgeons could use special equipment to remove the mass through her navel, decreasing recovery time.

Handy underwent the procedure in November and returned to her exercise ritual that same week after consulting with her doctor.

“I don’t feel like I’ve even had surgery,” said Handy, 52, a neuro-psychotherapist with a private practice in Baltimore. “I went back to work a week later. I feel better since having surgery. I don’t have pain and my leg isn’t going numb. That’s how (the mass) was discovered, because I had back pain.”

Both Anne Arundel Medical Center and Baltimore Washington Medical Center offer laparoscopic surgeries, minimally invasive procedures in which surgeons are aided by a video camera and thin instruments.

Traditional methods call for surgeons to make three to five small incisions in a patient. But surgeons at AAMC, BWMC and GBMC recently have begun using a single-incision procedure in which they work through the patient’s navel. It allows patients to undergo surgery without having a visible scar or lengthy period of recovery time and other restrictions.

All three hospitals use the single-incision procedure for removal of the appendix and gall bladder. At GBMC, the single-incision surgery also is being used for treating gynecologic disorders such as fibroids, ovarian cysts, masses and early-stage cancers.

Dr. Amanda Nickles Fader performed the procedure on Handy, along with other women ranging in age from 19 to 89.

The video camera also allows doctors to look inside the patient and better diagnose conditions, though it is difficult to perform the procedure on patients with advanced-stage cancers or those with a significant amount of scar tissue or lesions in the abdomen.

“We still remind women that even though you have (a tiny incision on the outside), you still have had a major procedure on the inside,” said Fader, a gynecologic oncologist and minimally invasive surgeon with GBMC’s Women’s Oncology Center.

“What we’re seeing in initial studies is that recovery appears to be fast compared to conventional laparascopy. Within two to three days, most women are back to their usual activities.”

Handy learned about her 6-centimeter ovarian mass in October, and had surgery Nov. 2. She was put under general anesthesia as doctors made a 2-centimeter incision at the base of her bellybutton and inserted a single multichannel device that allowed them to view the inside of the abdomen.

Eventually, surgeons inserted a bag through the incision to capture the mass. The bag containing the mass was then removed along with the instruments. Once the incision at the base of the bellybutton has healed, most patients can’t see it, Fader said.

The next day, Hand walked three miles, and the day after that, four miles. She was advised to wait two weeks to swim again, but Handy was too eager. She met with Fader, who cleared her for an early swim. Handy was swimming by the end of that week.

Fader said that Handy’s rapid recovery isn’t necessarily the norm.

“Some women are fit (before the surgery) and can even get back into doing gentle exercise and swimming and brisk walking,” Fader said. “We recommend a couple of weeks before heavy lifting or things of that nature.”