Faster Recovery, Less Pain: A Brownwood nurse's experience with robotic surgery

When considering surgery, many patients wonder about recovery process and how soon they'll feel like themselves again. They want to know how much pain to expect and how quickly they can get back to normal activities. For Josalyn Wheeless, nurse manager of Acute Nursing at Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood (HMCB), robotic-assisted surgery meant less pain and a faster recovery than previous abdominal surgeries.

As a nurse, Wheeless brings a unique perspective to her recovery experience. Having cared for surgical patients throughout her career, she understands the importance of reducing pain, encouraging mobility and helping people return to their daily lives as quickly and safely as possible.

After discussing treatment options with Daniel Stewart, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist on staff at HMCB, Wheeless chose a robotic-assisted hysterectomy using the Intuitive da Vinci Surgical System. She had heard positive feedback from friends and coworkers who had undergone robotic procedures and wanted to learn more before deciding.

The procedure required only an overnight hospital stay, and she returned home the following morning. What stood out most to Wheeless was the recovery compared to her previous abdominal surgeries.

"There was a much faster recovery," said Wheeless. "The pain was a lot less, and I was able to move around post-operatively a lot sooner than I had with previous abdominal surgeries."

Within four weeks, she had returned to most of her normal activities. Because her work involves lifting and assisting patients, Wheeless remained away from work for six weeks while following post-surgical restrictions.
She also appreciated the smaller incisions associated with robotic-assisted surgery.

"My surgical site is much smaller than it would've been for any other procedure," said Wheeless.

Today, the availability of advanced robotic-assisted surgery at HMCB gives Brownwood-area patients access to advanced surgical care closer to home. For Wheeless, the benefits were clear: less pain, smaller incisions and a smoother recovery.