Pelvic prolapse is a condition which is often treated by sacrocolpopexy, a procedure in which a woman’s pelvic organs – the vagina, uterus, rectum, bladder, urethra, and /or the small bowel – are surgically repositioned from an abnormally low position back to a normal position. Although pelvic prolapse is rarely a major health issue and may get better or worse over time, the da Vinci sacrocolpopexy is an attractive surgical option to reposition the pelvic organs.

During sacrocolpopexy your surgeon will free the vagina from the rectum and bladder so that a graft of synthetic mesh can be used to cover both the front and back of the vagina. The mesh is fastened to the large triangular bone on the sacrum (the upper back of the pelvis), which lifts the pelvic organs back to their correct positions. A layer of peritoneum (tissue that lines the abdomen) is placed over the mesh to prevent the bowel from attaching to the mesh.

Open Surgery vs. Laparoscopic and Robotic Sarcrocolpopexy

Sacrocolpopexy is traditionally performed using open surgery, in which a large incision is made in the lower belly to access the pelvic organs. Open surgery for pelvic organ prolapse is often successful but may lead to excessive bleeding and up to six days in the hospital to recover.

Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy is a less invasive alternative which uses a laparoscope, a small thin surgical tool with a camera and a lighted tip, to perform the surgery through small incisions in the belly. Da Vinci sacrocolpopexy is similar to laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy except that the laparoscope and surgical tools are held and manipulated by robotic arms instead of directly by the surgeon. The surgeon controls the da Vinci robotic arms through a console, which imitates the surgeon’s arm and hand movements with great precision.

Da Vinci sacrocolpopexy offers many advantages over traditional open sacrocolpopexy including smaller, more precise movement of surgical tools and the use of a high-definition 3D camera with magnification. Since surgical tools are inserted through small incisions, there is less scarring and less bleeding and pain. Patients undergoing da Vinci sacrocolpopexy often experience fewer complications, with faster recovery times and shorter hospital stays.Talk to your doctor to see if your pelvic prolapse can be treated effectively with da Vinci sacrocolpopexy.