Guest Blog from Tikara Cannon on The Da Vinci System Surgery Experience

Tikara Cannon, MPH, CBS, PPD, MiLC, is a local mom and owner of Milk & Cradle LLC, a lactation and postpartum support service based in the Charlottesville, VA area. Tikara shares her journey and experience with the da Vinci system to have a Myomectomy surgery to remove uterine fibroids.

Can you share what procedure you had and why?

I had a myomectomy with the da Vinci robot after several years of painful periods, spotting between cycles, and missed diagnoses. Once my husband and I began to consider expanding our family through IVF, we were required to do testing and diagnostics to document the health of my uterus; through this series of diagnostics, we were halted after discovering a fibroid inside of my uterus. After multiple experiences that did not support my goals with another healthcare system, I decided to transfer care to Jefferson OB/GYN, where I met Dr. Kilfoil who thought I'd be a great candidate for robotic surgery; she recommended I speak with Dr. Kraus and provided me with his experience in robotic surgery. She also gave me the option to discover other surgeons since there was a waitlist for the robotic surgery with Jefferson-OB/GYN at the time. I felt good about waiting and decided to schedule my procedure with Dr. Kraus when I was able.

Can you share the process of deciding to have the procedure? Discussing options with your doctor? How you were a good fit for the procedure?

After speaking with Dr. Kraus and his impressions of whether he thought the fibroid could be removed robotically, I felt supported and that he would truly make the best decision for the future in my goals of saving my uterus. Dr. Kraus was fairly confident that it could be removed robotically but moved on the side of caution to let me know that the time between having this surgery and a future pregnancy would depend on how the surgery goes.

Can you share your experience during the procedure?

The procedure went very well. I remember speaking with Dr. Kraus prior to the procedure that morning and feeling a great sense of comfort with his bedside manner. After being wheeled into the operating room, I continued to feel comfortable even though I was awake and could see how many people and instruments were around me. They continued to make sure I was comfortable until I drifted off.

Explain how the procedure helped/improved your symptoms/experience.

This procedure immediately improved my menstrual pain. I no longer bled through max-capacity menstrual pads and was no longer in excruciating pain; it also reduced the length of bleeding during my menstrual cycle.

How was the recovery post-surgery?

Recovery post-surgery was great. I managed gas and bloating through the first two days or so; by the 4th day, I felt comfortable enough to walk around my home, and by one week, I was able to do small tasks at my desk. As a prior c-section mama, I'd say that this recovery was much better than having an open myomectomy.  One year and two months later, I am happy to say that we were able to complete IVF and are now expecting our miracle baby boy in July 2024!  Thank you, Dr. Kraus and Jefferson OB/GYN!!!