(Irondequoit, NY) - The moment surgeons encounter the "Da Vinci" robot they know what it means: more precision for them and less pain and recovery time for their patients. Just ask Dr. Stephen Rauh and Laurel West. Five years ago, West began to suffer early symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
"I was feeling really sick," West says. "There were patches of my colon that were very swollen and ulcerated."
It got worse and recently her entire large intestine had to be removed. But ask her how she feels now and she affirms that her life has changed.
"Six months later, I have a ton of energy. I can exercise. I can play with my kids."
Her surgeon, Dr. Rauh, says the Da Vinci made the difference.
"What the Da Vinci adds is a remarkable clarity in our visualization," Rauh says. "It allows us to use more sophisticated instruments through the smaller incisions than previous techniques.... Robotic laparoscopic surgery is the next step in the evolution of minimally-invasive surgery."
There are only a handful of centers in the country that use the Da Vinci robot for colon and rectal surgery. For that reason, many doctors have come here to Rochester to train.
Dr. Rauh says the Robotic Colectomy Program at Rochester Colon and Rectal Surgeons has put Rochester on the medical map, and mapped out a whole new future for west.
"I'm done," West says with a smile. "I had a surgery in September. I had a surgery in November and now I'm finished. I just have decades of good health ahead."
