Local business owner Vanessa Drozda maintains a healthy and active lifestyle. But in late 2023, she began experiencing ongoing abdominal pain. She was shocked to learn that the source of the pain was her gallbladder – and that it needed to be removed. Thanks to robot-assisted surgery at Aultman Hospital, Vanessa was back on her feet and running her business less than a week after the surgery.

A Focus on Health and Fitness

Vanessa is always on the go. She owns and operates Vida Beauty Design, a salon studio in Jackson Township, and serves as an educational ambassador for a hair care company. Her career involves traveling throughout the United States to provide training and to stay current on the latest trends and products in beauty and personal care.

When she isn’t at the salon or traveling, you’ll find her engaged in fitness activities such as yoga, weightlifting, bicycling, kayaking and hiking.

Because she had always enjoyed good health, it came as a surprise to Vanessa when she started experiencing sharp abdominal pain. She thought perhaps it was a kidney stone or a muscle pull, so she sought medical care. A CAT scan did not reveal any issues. But the pain didn’t subside.

Seeking Relief

Vanessa confided in a friend, who suggested that she see Dr. Steven Kelly of Aultman General Surgery. Dr. Kelly ordered a HIDA scan, a form of imaging that is used to diagnose conditions in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and small intestine. The HIDA scan found that Vanessa’s gallbladder had only a 17% ejection fraction, which meant that it wasn’t working properly. Gallbladder removal is usually recommended when the ejection fraction is below 30%.

Vanessa was grateful that the robot-assisted surgery to take out her gallbladder would be performed at Aultman Hospital. “I always go to Aultman because it’s close to home and I receive excellent care,” she said.

Robot-assisted surgery is performed by a surgeon, not a robot. Using a da Vinci robot, the surgeon makes a few small incisions with long, thin instruments and a tiny camera. The camera sends images to a video monitor in the operating room to guide the surgeon during the operation.

While gallbladder removal is often an outpatient surgery, Vanessa’s procedure took place late in the day, so she was admitted overnight. “After the surgery, the nurses were very caring, doing everything they could to make sure I was comfortable,” she said. “And on the morning after the surgery, both Dr. Kelly and a nurse practitioner from his office stopped by to see how I was doing.”

A Quick Recovery

One of the many advantages of robot-assisted surgery is that it often leads to faster recovery times. Vanessa experienced this firsthand.

“Dr. Kelly told me to expect a two-week recovery, but I was able to go back to Vida Beauty Design in five days,” Vanessa said. “I had to wait two weeks until exercising, but overall, I was thrilled with how fast I was able to return to the things I love to do.”

She also said she appreciates the small incisions. “The scars are minimal; you can hardly see them,” she said. “I healed quickly and experienced no problems.”

Compared with traditional open surgery, robot-assisted surgery can also result in shorter hospital stays, lower risk of complications, reduced pain and less need for narcotic medication.

Vanessa is pleased that today she is pain-free and back to enjoying her healthy lifestyle. She learned from this experience to be persistent when something just doesn’t feel right.

“When you have pain, don’t ignore it. Pain is a signal from your body,” she said. “Follow your instincts, and keep looking into what your options are. This gallbladder problem was such a surprise, and I’m glad I reached out to Dr. Kelly to treat it.”