Medical Reports: Robotic Relief

WSVN -- Cecelia Wimberly knew something wasn't right.

Cecelia Wimberly: "It started feeling like my whole bottom side was just going to fall out."

The 29-year-old was shocked to learn that her uterus was dropping.

Cecelia had uterine fibroids, they are non-cancerous growths which can cause pressure on the bladder and other internal organs.

Dr. Stephen Zimberg: "If you can imagine having something like a large grapefruit on your pelvis or something much larger like a basketball."

Dr. Stephen Zimberg of Cleveland Clinic says lots of women get them.

Dr. Stephen Zimberg: "About a third of the major procedures done on women here in this country are for fibroids."

In the past, Doctors had to remove the uterus to get rid of the fibroids, leaving the patient unable to have children, but now thanks to robots that's all changed.

Dr. Stephen Zimberg: "That is conserving the uterus and taking the fibroids out so that women were able to maintain their reproductive options and to have children."

It's called robot-assisted myomectomy.

Dr. Stephen Zimberg: "What the robot does is it's a wristed instrument, so it's the only instrument that we have, that can go like this."

The surgeon sits in a control area near the patient, and uses the robot to move the instruments just like he would his own hands. This allows him to work within a confined space.

Dr. Stephen Zimberg: "You can actually pull, you can sew, you can grab, you can cut."

The procedure takes about three hours, and because there are no large cuts the recovery is pretty quick.

Cecelia Wimberly: "I was walking up and about using the restroom that night."

Cecelia had more than 15 fibroids removed.

Cecelia Wimberly:"The size of an orange was my biggest one. I had a bunch of them the size of an orange."

Now she not only feels better, her stomach is flatter and she is looking forward to starting a family one day.

Cecelia Wimberly:"My plan for the future is to have some healthy children, at least two, not some, at least two."

Diana Diaz: "Doctors say even if fibroids are removed there is a chance they could grow back."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Dr. Stephen Zimberg
Cleveland Clinic Florida
Tel: (954) 659-5124
www.clevelandclinic.org/florida