FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2011

Norwalk, CT – Today John Garofalo, M.D. was admitted to the Registry of the Council of Gynecologic Endoscopy (CGE) with certification at the highest level of competence in Operative Laparoscopy and Operative Hysteroscopy. He is now one of a select group of Connecticut and Fairfield County physicians to be listed on the Registry. With this certification, CGE recognizes Dr. Garofalo’s experience conducting endoscopic surgeries that led to successful medical outcomes.

Endoscopic surgical procedures performed by Dr. Garofalo include hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), myomectomy (removal of uterine fibroids), sacrocolpopexy (abdominal vault suspension) and endometrial ablation (a procedure performed to treat abnormal bleeding of the uterus).

About CGE

CGE’s mission is to identify endoscopic surgeons and to encourage high standards for gynecologic endoscopy and minimally invasive surgery. As an example, laparoscopic hysterectomy, a minimally invasive procedure which can reduce surgery length, hospital stay, recovery time, pain and the likelihood of complications relative to traditional “open” hysterectomy, is used for only 15% of the 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the United States. By offering accreditation, CGE seeks to get more ob/gyns to use endoscopic procedures and, by raising the visibility of endoscopic techniques, to encourage more patients to demand them.

Formerly known as the Accreditation Council for Gynecologic Endoscopy, CGE is devoted to advancing knowledge and effective use of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. CGE retrospectively reviews physicians’ case lists and randomly selected operative and pathology reports. Physicians whose case lists support the types of surgery they are performing are included as members and are listed in the registry. Surgeons who consider themselves gynecological endoscopic surgeons and can demonstrate sufficient case documentation may apply to be included in the registry, which includes only 1,100 gynecologic surgeons worldwide.

About AAGL

CGE is a professional interest partner of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL), a not-for-profit professional medical association of doctors dedicated to the research and advancement of minimally invasive gynecologic procedures. Founded in 1971, AAGL has approximately 4,000 members located in more than 60 countries around the world. It is the first and largest organization in the world dedicated to advancing the safest, most efficacious and least invasive diagnostic and therapeutic techniques to treat women’s pelvic health disorders. The AAGL’s commitment to women’s health care, which historically has been embodied in the integration of clinical practice, research, innovation, dialogue and continuing education of physicians, now encompasses outreach to and education of patients. More information on AAGL and CGE can be found at www.aagl.org and www.aagl.org/CGE.

About John Garofalo, M.D.

Dr. John Garofalo, M.D., is a gynecologist located in Fairfield County, Connecticut. He is also the Associate Director of Gynecology at Norwalk Hospital. For more information on Dr. Garofalo and his medical practice, go to www.garofaloobyn.com or call 203.803.1098.

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Dr. Garofalo discusses da Vinci Hysterectomy for Uterine Fibroids

This combination of detail and precision makes da Vinci very well suited for a variety of surgery types and procedures, including several that I do regularly as part of my medical practice. For this blog I thought I’d talk about da Vinci surgery and hysterectomy.

Not your mother’s hysterectomy

If your mother or grandmother had a hysterectomy, it was probably done vaginally or through a horizontal incision in the abdomen. She probably stayed in the hospital for about six days, with a recovery period that lasted four weeks or longer. In comparison, women who have a da Vinci hysterectomy can expect to stay in the hospital for about one day, followed by about a week of recovery.

As a minimally invasive procedure, the da Vinci hysterectomy is a much simpler and less traumatic experience. Instead of a long incision, da Vinci hysterectomy uses five small incisions, spaced across the abdomen. Compared to open abdominal surgery, there’s less bleeding, less pain, minimal scarring, quicker recovery, a shorter hospital stay, and a lower likelihood of complications.

Here are a few quotes from women who have had da Vinci hysterectomies, including one of my own patients. These quotes and many others can be found on www.davincistories.com.

“I am truly amazed how quickly I was able to recover after having major surgery. My incisions were minimal, my recovery was quick.” – Maureen, Madison CT

“The da Vinci procedure has transformed the surgical procedure from a long, difficult recovery to a relatively painless, quick procedure with very little downtime. It is perfect for active working people who don’t have six weeks to be down.” – Anne, Enfield CT

“I had my surgery a week before Christmas, and I was up to entertaining for the holidays.” – Tina, West Suffield CT

More information

If you’d like more information or to see a da Vinci hysterectomy testimonial, go to this page on my website. The testimonial video is at the bottom:

http://www.garofaloobgyn.com/hysterectomy.html

If you need additional information, you can click on any of the links below, or you can contact my office directly. In my next blog, I’ll write about another condition called myomectomy that can also be treated using da Vinci.

Links to da Vinci surgery resources

daVinciSurgery.com

da Vinci Hysterectomy

da Vinci Surgery Patient Stories

Dr. Garofalo’s da Vinci information page

Dr. John Garofalo, M.D., is a certified da Vinci surgeon and gynecologist in Fairfield County, Connecticut. For more information on Dr. Garofalo and his medical practice, go to www.garofaloobyn.com. Dr. Garofalo can be reached for a personal consultation at 203.803.1098.

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Hysterectomy, or surgical removal of the uterus, can be performed in different ways, including open surgery, laparoscopically, and vaginally. Open surgery provides the most effective way to ensure complete removal of the reproductive system but requires a wide incision through the abdominal wall. Laparoscopic hysterectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses thin, fiber-optic telescopes passed through into the abdomen through small cuts in the abdominal wall. In a vaginal hysterectomy, the surgeon operates entirely through the vagina.

While many tests have compared the safety and effectiveness of open and laparoscopic hysterectomies in recent years, relatively few have compared vaginal and laparoscopic hysterectomies. Many tests comparing vaginal and laparoscopic hysterectomies have concluded that vaginal hysterectomies are superior to laparoscopic hysterectomies.

Between April 2004 and April 2006, a team of physicians in Milan, Italy conducted a study to compare the two types of procedures. Sixty women participated in the study, with 30 having a laparoscopic hysterectomy and the other 30 undergoing a vaginal hysterectomy. Women with various medical complications or conditions that might have interfered with the study’s results were excluded. The results were published in the April 2009 American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The study found that while the laparoscopic procedure took more time on average, the women who had a laparoscopic hysterectomy generally experienced less blood loss and a shorter hospital stay compared with the women who had a vaginal hysterectomy.

Average Comparisons

Laparoscopic                                         Vaginal

Average blood loss                                83.9 ml                                                178.2 ml

Average hospital stay                           2.7 days                                                3.2 days

Average length of operation               99 minutes                                          82 minutes

Candiani. Laparoscopic vs vaginal hysterectomy for benign pathology. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009.

Following the procedure, the women who had a laparoscopic hysterectomy generally reported a lower average level of pain on the day of the surgery and experienced faster recovery from pain in the days that followed. The average number of days before returning to work was not significantly different between the two groups.

The women came in for check-ups one, six and 12 months after their procedures. They were evaluated in terms of pelvic pain, urinary dysfunctions, sexual activity, vaginal infections and other factors. Based on clinical and ultrasound evaluations, the two procedures were equally effective.

http://www.garofaloobgyn.com/hysterectomy

http://es.garofaloobgyn.com/hysterectomy.html

Candiani M, Izzo S, Bulfoni A, et al. Laparoscopic vs vaginal hysterectomy for benign pathology. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009;200:368.e1-368.e7