William McBee, MD, left, and Jamie Lesnock, MD, right, of MidAtlantic Gynecologic Oncology of Mon General Hospital show off Mon General Hospital’s new da Vinci Surgical System, used for robotic-assisted surgery. Surgeons control the system from a console, which translates hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments used to perform the surgery. The system provides the surgeon with high-definition 3D vision and a magnified view.
Mon General Hospital has begun performing state-of-the-art robotic-assisted surgery.
A da Vinci Surgical System was added to the hospital’s operating suites in October. The system is designed to overcome the limitations of manual laparoscopic surgery by providing enhanced capabilities, such as high-definition three-dimensional vision and a magnified view.
“Adding da Vinci robotic surgery to our operating rooms is another example of Mon General providing the latest technology to its patients and physicians,” said Mon Health System President and CEO Darryl Duncan. “This will further enhance our ability to provide minimally invasive surgery to our patients, with quicker recovery times.
Initially the da Vinci Surgical System is being used for gynecologic surgery. “Our group believes strongly in a minimally invasive approach for gynecologic surgery,” said Jamie Lesnock, MD, of MidAtlantic Gynecologic Oncology of Mon General Hospital. “The da Vinci Surgical System is a robotic platform that has been a breakthrough for minimally invasive surgery.
“Robotically-assisted procedures provide the same benefit to patients as laparoscopy in terms of shorter hospital stays and faster recovery,” Dr. Lesnock said. “The additional benefit comes from the three-dimensional camera and articulated instruments which more closely mimics open surgery. This provides the ability to do more challenging cases via a minimally invasive approach.
The procedure is performed with the surgeon sitting at a console and controlling the robotic arms holding the instruments. The da Vinci system translates the surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body during surgery. Even though it is called a “robot,” the da Vinci system cannot operate on its own. The surgery is performed by the physician at the console.
Some of the benefits of da Vinci surgery include minimal scarring, minimal pain, low blood loss, faster recovery and shorter hospital stays. In addition to gynecological procedures, the da Vinci Surgical System can be used for a variety of procedures, including gallbladder, urological, colon and rectal, and ear, nose and throat.
