RETIREMENT LIVING
Surgical Upgrade
Karmanos surgeon performs
minimally invasive procedure
for gynecologic cancers.
S
urgeons at the Barbara Ann
Karmanos Cancer Center
in Detroit have used the
da Vinci Surgical System for more
than five years to successfully treat
prostate and urologic cancers and
are the first in the state to use the
minimally invasive robotic system to
treat head and neck cancers.
Leigh Ann
Solomon, M.D.,
a member of
Karmanos' gyneco-
logic oncology mul-
tidisciplinary team
and the Division
of Gynecologic
Oncology at Wayne
State University
School of Medicine, is using the new
da Vinci SI system to operate on
women with gynecologic cancers.
Solomon works from Karmanos
Cancer Center's Farmington Hills
facility and is also at Karmanos'
main campus in Detroit several days
each week, where she performs the
surgery.
Solomon said the da Vinci system,
which has recently been updated
with a high-definition, three-dimen-
sional and magnified viewing screen
and better instrument control, has
improved the surgical procedure for
patients.
"I think it's a huge difference for
the patients:' she said. "The compa-
ny that created the system has made
a lot of improvements to the new da
Vinci Surgical System. Our division
easily adapted to the new technology
and took off running with it."
The system can be used to operate
on women with cervical and endome-
trial (uterine) cancers as well as other
complex gynecologic conditions. It
lets the surgeon make small incisions
in the upper abdomen to access the
female reproductive organs.
The system is equipped with tiny
instruments that are inserted into
the pelvic area. Doctors control
these robotic instruments to per-
form hysterectomies, lymph node
dissections and many additional
procedures from a console next to
the patient.
Solomon noted that about 80 per-
cent of surgeries she performs for
endometrial cancer are completed
with robotic surgery. This technol-
ogy has helped cut down patient
recovery times to two weeks rather
than the typical six weeks. There is
also less blood loss, less pain, less
scarring, less risk of infection and
less time between surgery and fol-
lowup treatments for patients.
"The da Vinci system allows com-
plex procedures to be completed
in a minimally-invasive fashion,
with a speedier recovery:' she said.
"Patients want to feel better faster:'
Solomon completed her fellow-
ship in the Division of Gynecologic
Oncology at the Karmanos Cancer
Institute and Wayne State University
School of Medicine from 2005-2008.
She did her residency at Baylor
College of Medicine in Houston
and earned her medical degree at
the University of Miami School of
Medicine in Florida.
She said that ever since she began
her obstetrics and gynecologic med-
ical training, she has had a desire
to provide comprehensive care for
women with gynecologic malignan-
cies.
"I want to take care of people:'
she said. "What I do is challenging
physically and mentally."
In addition to being able to offer
non-invasive surgical procedures
to her female patients, Solomon
appreciates the multidisciplinary
approach Karmanos' medical staff
uses to treat each patient. She par-
ticipates in cancer research and
takes advantage of the therapeutic
developments that come from the
center's clinical trials program.
She looks forward to seeing more
patients at the Karmanos Cancer
Center in Farmington Hills.
"The Farmington Hills facility is
beautiful," she said. "Having the abil-
ity to provide radiation, chemother-
apy and followup in the community
is wonderful." Cl
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August 5 • 2010
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