Robotic Hernia Surgery – That’s the Way to Go!

George Derderian, 69, knows about hernias. He has had three of them. Twenty-five years ago, he had two inguinal (groin) hernias; one on the left side of his pubic bone and one on the right. More recently, he developed a recurrence of the right inguinal hernia.

“I don’t know what caused this hernia, but I knew I had a hernia – it felt familiar,” George said. “My neighbor is a surgeon. He and my primary care physician both recommended Amy Braddock, MD, as my surgeon. I wanted a surgeon who knew how to do the DaVinci robotic surgery.”

Dr. Braddock is a Board-certified general surgeon at Trinity Health Oakland and is highly skilled at using the DaVinci robot. Dr. Braddock examined George and recommended robotic surgery as a viable option for him.

“In my opinion, robotic surgery was a safer and smarter option for George, especially when considering a recurrent inguinal hernia,” Dr. Braddock said. “The DaVinci robot allows us to be less invasive with surgery. George had smaller incisions, less pain, and a shorter recovery time, as compared to traditional surgery.”

Robotic surgery provides surgeons with an alternative to both traditional surgery and conventional laparoscopy (small incisions with a camera inserted to guide the surgeon), putting a surgeon’s hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robotic system and providing better visibility and increased precision. Many of Trinity Health Michigan’s surgeons perform these procedures and train other surgeons throughout the country to do the same.

When it comes to surgery, reputation and peace of mind mean a lot to patients.

“I already liked Trinity Health, and I researched her (Dr. Braddock) reputation,” George said. “I’ve always been amazed by Trinity Health Oakland’s performance. I used to own Ultimate Soccer Arenas, which is nearby the hospital. I always made sure if there were any injuries, the ambulances went to Trinity Health Oakland.”

After surgery, it was important to George to not take strong pain medicine – he only wanted over-the-counter pain relief.

“I didn’t want any strong pain medicine – I only took Excedrin,” George said. “When I woke up from surgery, I said, ‘I won’t take Oxy,’ and a couple doctors not involved in my surgery checked on me – they were impressed that I wouldn’t take pain meds. They came in and congratulated me for not taking it. I was at work the next day.”

George’s two previous hernia surgeries were not performed robotically. He said he was in crippling pain for at least a week, and he was 25 years younger.

“Robotic surgery is unbelievable,” George said. "I 110 percent recommend robotic surgery – that’s the way to go! I have already recommended Dr. Braddock to my friends for surgery. My experience couldn’t have been any better.”

Learn more about hernias and find a Trinity Health physician near you.