Testimonial

During my first pregnancy in the summer of 2002 I was made aware of a large fibroid growing in my uterus. The proper medical precautions were taken and I was able to deliver a healthy 8.5 lb son in January of 2003 via C-section. I was advised the fibroid should reduce in size after the delivery and no additional problems should result. We were overjoyed and excited at the birth of our son.

Several months passed and months turned into years before my husband and I decided to have additional children. I received annual exams regularly and always considered myself healthy with no medicals issues. At my annual exam visits my OB/GYN would schedule an ultrasound to check the size of the fibroid, I was assured the fibroid was just a nuisance and this condition affected millions of women.

But something was growing increasingly wrong during these three years. Each month my menstrual periods were increasing in heaviness, flow, and clotting. A normal menstrual cycle for me grew from 7 days into 16+ days. Each month slowly got worse - longer, increased cramping, clotting the size of eggs, bleeding at irregular times, and pelvic pain. I would complain to my husband of tiredness and exhaustion. My husband recognized additional alarming signs - our sex life. I was uninterested because it was truly painful.

All these symptoms came to a head in May of 2006. Our son was three and we were ready to have another child. At my annual exam appointment that month I discovered during an ultrasound the fibroid was so large it would impede the conception of any future children. I was devastated. My OB/GYN advised a hysterectomy at age 31. He stated the traditional Myomectomy surgery was invasive and bloody, which he didn't like to perform. My only other option presented was a Uterine Fibroid Embolization. So we made an appointment at a recommended Radiologist for consultation and we were hopeful he would have the answers to our prayers - future pregnancies.

The Radiologist studied the test results and advised us he would only perform the procedure but would not recommend future conceptions due to possible inhibited circulation to the embolized area. We were devastated again. We were out of options - Hysterectomy or Uterine Fibroid Embolization with decreased chances of conception. In tears I called my trusted Family Physician to discuss his recommendations on the options presented. He knew of some cutting edge procedures being performed in Indianapolis to treat fibroids, and believed I might be a candidate. He made the contact and within 5 days I had an appointment in Indianapolis with hope for a better outcome.

Meeting Dr. Bonaventura and his staff was like a breath of fresh air. We were treated like individuals, not just an additional patient on the schedule. As our conversation progressed over the course of an hour we quickly realized he was the answer to our prayers. Not only could he perform a Myomectomy for removal of the fibroid, but laparoscopically with aid of a robotic device - the da Vinci surgical system. This procedure would save my uterus for conception of future children with additional benefits of decreased surgical blood loss, more accurate closure of the fibroid removal site, and small laparoscopic incisions.

We were excited and anxiously waited for the day the surgery would take place - this was to be the end of a terrible nightmare that had slowly evolved over three years. The surgery was performed in July of 2006 in the caring hands of Dr. Bonaventura and his team at Clarion North Medical Center. Within 48 hours I was home and feeling surprisingly good. I was amazed by the small amount of discomfort I felt after surgery and ecstatic about the tiny incisions - hardly noticeable once healed. I returned to work full time 10 days after the surgery was performed. Within two weeks I felt better than I had in 5 years - I didn't realize until after the fibroids were removed how sick they were actually making my body. I had energy for the first time in years to play with our son and enjoy life an active lifestyle again. Now I just waited for my body to 'wake up' after the surgery and for my menstrual cycle to resume. That would be a true sign of success for me - normal regular cycles and the ability to carry a child.

My story has taken two years to come full circle. My success is due to the caring relationships fostered by and talented surgical hands of Dr. Bonaventura and his staff. Within a year after the surgery I was able to conceive naturally and I am expecting the addition to our family in May of 2008. It brings tear to my eyes when I realize that without the daVinci procedure being performed this would not be possible - truly a medical miracle.

---- Patricia