Interview: Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell on Patient Access, Robotic Myomectomy, and the Impact of LapBox™
- Ark Surgical
- Apr 24
- 3 min read
Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, MD is a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist and Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Queensland Medical School, practicing at Ochsner Health.
She specializes in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, particularly robotic myomectomy, and is recognized for her leadership in advancing equitable access to care and improving outcomes in women’s health.
We spoke with Dr. Gillispie-Bell about the impact of the FDA black box warning on patient access and how LapBox™ is helping restore minimally invasive options for women.
Q: Can you tell us about your background and your surgical focus?
Dr. Gillispie-Bell: I am a board-certified OB-GYN, and I focus heavily on minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, particularly robotic myomectomy.
A large part of my work involves helping women access surgical options that allow for faster recovery, less pain, and better overall outcomes. Minimally invasive surgery is a critical part of that.
Q: How did the FDA black box warning on morcellation impact your practice and your patients?
Dr. Gillispie-Bell: The black box warning had a significant impact. Many women have not had access to minimally invasive surgery because of it.
A lot of physicians stopped using morcellation altogether, which meant they had to create larger incisions to remove fibroids, even during procedures like hysterectomy. That was done out of caution, which is understandable, but it limited options for patients.
As a result, many women lost the full benefit of minimally invasive surgery.
Q: What role does tissue containment play in addressing this challenge?
Dr. Gillispie-Bell: Containment is critical. Even in cases where we are confident that fibroids are benign, we still have to be careful.
If small pieces of tissue are left behind during morcellation, they can implant and grow. That is something we always have to consider.
Using a containment system allows us to keep all tissue within a controlled environment and remove it safely, without risk of spillage.
Q: What has been your experience using LapBox™?
Dr. Gillispie-Bell:
LapBox™ has been a game changer. It allows us to offer patients the full benefit of minimally invasive surgery again. The double-wall design gives me confidence that even in the case of abnormal tissue, everything remains contained within the bag. In my robotic myomectomy cases, I know that all tissue is captured and removed. That level of confidence is extremely important.
Q: How easy is it to use in practice?
Dr. Gillispie-Bell: It is very easy to use.
After extending the umbilical incision, I can place the applicator, identify the specimen, place it into the bag, inflate it, and then bring it through the incision.
The workflow is straightforward and intuitive.
It does not add meaningful time to my cases, which is important in a busy surgical setting.
Q: What impact does this have on patient care?
Dr. Gillispie-Bell: It allows us to truly offer minimally invasive surgery to more patients.
That means smaller incisions, faster recovery, less pain, and better overall outcomes. For many women, this is the difference between having access to minimally invasive surgery or not.
I have seen how the lack of safe containment options limited what surgeons were able to offer. Having a solution like this helps open that door again.
Q: Any final thoughts?
Dr. Gillispie-Bell:
For me, this is about restoring options for patients. There was a period of time where many surgeons moved away from procedures like robotic myomectomy because of the limitations around morcellation. That had a real impact on patient care.
Having a safe containment solution allows us to move back toward minimally invasive approaches and give patients the care they deserve.
