MDNews - Greater Boston

speCial Feature Winchester hospital Advanced Ob/GYN Department and Gynecologic surgical Capabilities By eric slack W incheSter hoSpitAl hAS always been commit- ted to bringing the latest medical and surgical advances to its OB/GYN patients, who, like most patients, prefer the convenience of receiving care in their own community. And with broad investments in the OB/GYN department, including the purchase of the da Vinci Surgical System in 2007, Winchester Hospital continues to offer state-of-the-art treatment for many OB/ GYN procedures. Left to right: arlan Fuller, M.d.; Judith Carpentier, M.d.; and Franklin Waddell, M.d., have helped Winchester hospital to advance its oB/Gyn department and gynecologic surgery capabilities. 10 | Greater Boston MD News ■ MdneWS.coM "Developing this expertise in gynecologic cancer and urologic surgery allowed us to attract some excellent physicians and put together a team for gynecologic cancer surgery," says Arlan Fuller, M.D., a nationally renowned expert in gynecologic oncology who has regularly given presentations on gynecologic cancers worldwide. "We've been able to extend that expertise to a couple of very proficient laparoscopic surgeons who have trained on robotic surgery, so we have been able to expand our robotic surgery offerings into gynecology." Dr. Fuller uses the da Vinci system to perform total hysterectomy with pelvic and para-aortic node dissection for endometrial cancer, radical hysterectomy with pelvic node dissection for early cervical cancer, and complete surgical staging for early ovarian cancer. After years of investing in its OB/GYN department and advancements in gynecologic surgery, Winchester Hospital now provides a high level of care close to home for many patients who previously felt their only option was in Boston. Services include benign hysterectomy, as well as treatment for ovarian and uterine cancers, urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and more. Franklin Waddell, M.D., Chair of the hospital's OB/GYN department, says patients want cutting-edge technologies closer to home. "This is exactly what the marketplace is looking for," he says. "It is what patients want, and it is what insurance wants. We are moving toward an environment of minimally invasive surgery. Capabilities have continued to improve at community hospitals like ours. Open gynecologic procedures will become less of the norm, and insurance companies and patients will expect providers to offer quality and affordable minimally invasive procedures closer to home." Expanding OB/GYN services had been one of Winchester Hospital's primary goals, and purchasing the da Vinci and bringing in skilled surgeons has benefited the entire community. "Although investing in the system was an expensive undertaking, it has allowed us to perform these minimally invasive procedures, expand our services and be more competitive with the tertiary centers," explains Judy Carpentier, M.D., a

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