Urologists Ek Lou, M.D., (left) and Pratik Desai, M.D., are now performing surgery at Potomac Hospital using state-of-the-art robotics.
Potomac Hospital is pleased to be the first provider of the da Vinci® Surgical System in the Prince William area.
Potomac Hospital urologists Pratik Desai, M.D., and Ek Lou, M.D., are now using new da Vinci® technology to perform the surgical removal of the prostate gland (prostatectomy) and for treatment of uterine or vaginal vault prolapse (sacrocolpopexy). In the future, more doctors will use the technology for other types of surgeries.
The Advantages of the da Vinci® System
With the da Vinci® Surgical System, surgeons have state-of-the-art robotics technology at their fingertips -- their hand movements are mimicked precisely by tiny surgical instruments.
“We are excited to offer this technology at Potomac Hospital,” said Dr. Desai. “Robot-assisted technology offers patients many benefits including shorter hospital stays, less pain and risk of infection, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker return to normal activities.”
The da Vinci® Surgical System gives surgeons unprecedented control and three-dimensional views of the body’s anatomy. This means surgeries that once required incisions can now be performed through tiny surgical openings. The robotic system operates through the surgeon, as an extension of his movements.
The system also provides full freedom of movement at its instrument tips, allowing precise operation in a closed chest, abdomen or pelvis.
“By enhancing surgical capability through the da Vinci® system, we are able to provide patients with better clinical outcomes so they can return to active, productive lives more quickly,” said Dr. Desai. “Overall, it’s an easier surgical experience for our patients.”
About Drs. Lou and Desai
Dr. Lou is a specially-trained urologist with more than 30 years of surgical experience. His partner, Dr. Desai, specializes in urologic oncology.
Dr. Desai is one of a few urologists in the country and one of two in Northern Virginia who has completed a two-year urologic oncology fellowship, with special training in robotics and laparoscopy. Their office, Potomac Urology, is located in The Potomac Center, 2296 Opitz Boulevard, suite 300, in Woodbridge. Telephone: (703) 680-2111.
da Vinci® Prostatectomy and Video
If your doctor recommends surgery to treat your prostate cancer, you may be a candidate for a new, less-invasive surgical procedure called da Vinci® Prostatectomy at Potomac Hospital.
For most patients, da Vinci® Prostatectomy offers numerous potential benefits over open prostatectomy including:
- Shorter hospital stay
- Less pain
- Less risk of infection
- Less blood loss and transfusions
- Less scarring
- Faster recovery
- Quicker return to normal activities
As with any surgical procedure, these benefits cannot be guaranteed, as surgery is both patient- and procedure-specific.
da Vinci® Prostatectomy Video
For many patients approaching surgery, it is often difficult to visualize what is involved in a specific surgical procedure. To give prospective da Vinci® Prostatectomy patients a better understanding of the advances made by robotically-assisted minimally invasive surgery, we have produced the following video presentation.
This video offers a three-dimensional simulation of the male reproductive anatomy, the enabling technology -- the da Vinci® Surgical System -- and the procedure itself.
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Click on the image to the left or the link below to begin the video presentation. You will need to have Windows Media Player installed on your computer.
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Watch video |
For more information about Dr. Lou, Dr. Desai and other surgeons and doctors on Potomac Hospital’s Medical Staff, click here.About da Vinci® Sacrocolpopexy
More than 120,000 women are surgically treated each year in the United States for uterine and vaginal vault prolapse, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
When a woman’s connective tissues or muscles in the pelvic area are weakened, they are often unable to hold the pelvis in its natural orientation. This weakening can occur with age, after childbirth, with weight gain and strenuous physical labor. Over time it can also cause prolapse (or falling) of the vagina, uterus, bladder or rectum and can lead to problems with urinary incontinence, vaginal ulceration, sexual dysfunction and/or bowel movements.
A sacrocolpexy is the procedure to correct vaginal vault prolapse. During this surgery, mesh is inserted to hold the vagina in the correct position.
Sacrocolpexy has traditionally been performed as an open surgery using a 15-30 cm horizontal incision in the lower abdomen. The new da Vinci® technology allows surgeons to perform sacrocolpopexies through just a few tiny openings. For most women, this less invasive procedure has many benefits including:
- Shorter hospital stay
- Less pain
- Less risk of infection
- Less blood loss and transfusions
- Less scarring
- Faster recovery
- Quicker return to normal activities
As with any surgery, these benefits cannot be guaranteed. Ask your doctor if you might be a candidate for the da Vinci® Sacrocolpopexy.
For more information about Dr. Lou, Dr. Desai and other surgeons and doctors on Potomac Hospital’s Medical Staff, click here.
