Robotic surgery can reduce the impact of ovarian cancer surgery on patients

• Every year, around 3,300 women with ovarian carcinoma are diagnosed.
• Robotic surgery is now a leading tool in the treatment of ovarian cancer at an early stage.

Hospital Quirónsalud Torrevieja is highlighting the advances that robotic surgery is bringing to the treatment of ovarian cancer, particularly in patients diagnosed at an early stage.

Around 3,300 women in Spain are diagnosed with ovarian Cancer each year. It is not as common as other gynaecological tumors but it is still one of the most deadly. It is usually detected in an advanced stage when the treatment options and prognosis are poorer.

“The main difficulty with ovarian cancer is that it is often diagnosed late because its symptoms are very non-specific and can easily be mistaken for other digestive or hormonal conditions,” explains Dr Rodolfo Martín Díaz, Head of the Gynaecology Department and specialist in robotic gynaecological surgery at Hospital Quirónsalud Torrevieja.

Most common symptoms are abdominal bloating or pain, early satiety and changes in digestion or urinary function. The specialist says that many patients associate these symptoms with gastrointestinal disorders or normalize them, delaying medical consultations and diagnosis.

Diagnostic tests such as a transvaginal scan and blood tests to detect tumour markers like CA-125 are usually the first step in the process. In cases where cancer is suspected, additional imaging tests like CT scans may be necessary. The final confirmation, however, is achieved through histological analyses of tissue that was removed during surgery.

A family history, BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, endometriosis as well as certain long-term hormone treatment are all factors that increase the risk.

Faster recovery and greater surgical precision

In recent years, robotic surgery The surgical treatment of ovarian cancer in its early stages has been a leading approach. Hospital Quirónsalud Torrevieja has extensive experience using the Da Vinci robotic system, a technology that enables highly complex procedures to be performed with greater precision and less surgical trauma.

“Robotic surgery is an evolution of laparoscopy.” It allows us to work with three-dimensional vision, millimetric precision and a far greater range of movement,” says Dr Díaz.

This technique is especially recommended for patients who have localised cancers in stages I and II, or for certain women who undergo cytoreductive procedures. Pre-operative assessment is crucial in determining who can benefit from this minimally-invasive procedure, explains the specialist.

The advantages of robotic surgery are reduced intraoperative bleeding and post-operative complications. They also include smaller incisions as well as a quicker recovery. “In many cases, patients are discharged from hospital within just two or three days and are able to return to their normal activities sooner,” explains Dr Díaz.

It is also possible that this surgery can help to preserve fertility for younger women in certain cases as it is less aggressive.

For more information on robotics in cancer treatment: