Marilyn Mansfield – da Vinci Single-Site Gallbladder Surgery Success Story

Single-Site is a Cinch

Marilyn Mansfield is among the patients raving about this new robotic technique

“My patients absolutely love it.”

That’s how general surgeon Gary White, MD, describes the robotic da Vinci® Single-Site™ technique for gallbladder removal.

“With Single-Site, you have only one small incision,” continues Dr. White, independently practicing physician on the medical staff at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. “That’s less trauma to the muscle tissue, less pain, and less scarring.”

One of those patients who love Single-Site is Marilyn Mansfield, wife of Methodist Health System President and CEO Stephen L. Mansfield, PhD, FACHE.

Mrs. Mansfield struggled with digestive problems for months. Then last fall, things took a turn for the worse.

Having a heart attack?

“Steve and I were in Palm Springs, where he was receiving an award,”

Mrs. Mansfield says. “We were getting ready for a dinner when all of a sudden, my back started really hurting between my shoulder blades. Then the pain moved all around. I felt like a building was leaning on me and I couldn’t keep it up.

“Steve thought I was having a heart attack and took me to a local emergency room.”

Tests showed no heart attack, but instead elevated pancreas enzymes. So once back in Dallas, Mrs. Mansfield saw David Bonnet, MD, independently practicing family medicine physician, also on the medical staff at Methodist Richardson. He thought the symptoms pointed to gallbladder problems.

“He said, ‘If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it’s probably a duck,’?” Mrs. Mansfield says. And tests proved that he was right.

Dealing with ‘the duck’

Dr. Bonnet referred Mrs. Mansfield to Dr. White, who recommended the Single-Site procedure.

“I kidded him, saying I envisioned him in his office at his desk, drinking coffee, and operating a little remote control,” Mrs. Mansfield says. In truth, Dr. White would operate da Vinci from a console in the operating room. The robot translates his movements in real time to robotic instruments, resulting in greater precision and accuracy.

“I was thrilled — only one little incision compared to three or four,” Mrs. Mansfield says. “And recovery was a piece of cake. I got up the next day and cooked dinner.”

The procedure lasted less than an hour, and afterward Mrs. Mansfield didn’t even require pain medication. Within days, she was back to spending time with her family and singing in the church choir.

“You’ve got to go to Methodist Richardson,” she says. “And you’ve got to consider robotic surgery.”

From the summer 2013 edition of Shine magazine.

The da Vinci Single-Site procedure might be right for you. Find a physician or call 972-4DRLINE (972-437-5463).