Everything You Need to Know About Robotic Surgery at JSMC
At Jennie Stuart Medical Center, we make use of the most advanced technologies to provide cutting-edge medical treatment options for you, our patient. As such, we recently implemented a robotic surgical system known as the da Vinci® Surgical System, the largest investment in a single piece of equipment at our hospital. To help you understand the amazing benefits this advanced technology allows us to offer, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about robotic surgery at JSMC in Hopkinsville, KY.
What’s the da Vinci System?
Perhaps the leading robotic surgical system currently in use in the United States, the da Vinci® Surgical System is the perfect representation of the latest advancements in both surgical and robotics technology. The system allows surgeons to perform intricate operations via a few small incisions. It provides a magnified vision system, which gives the surgeons a 3D, high-definition view inside the patient’s body. The surgeon also can sit while operating with an ergonomically designed console, using patent-wristed instruments that bend and rotate far better than a human hand can — essentially disrupting how minimally invasive surgery is done for over 3 million patients worldwide. By using the da Vinci system, your surgeon can operate with far more precision, control, and vision.
The da Vinci system is powered by robotic technology, translating the surgeon’s hand movements into the smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body. One of the main instruments used is the laparoscope, a thin tube equipped with a very small camera and a light at the end. This sends images to the video monitor in the operating room, which guides the surgeon at all times.
What are the benefits?
In 2000, the da Vinci Surgical System became the first robotic surgical platform cleared by the FDA for general laparoscopic surgery. Since then, more than 775,000 patients have undergone a procedure with the da Vinci system. It can be used for a wide array of conditions, especially urologic, gynecologic, pediatric, and general surgery. About 3 out of 4 prostate cancer surgeries are done with da Vinci, and 86% of urology residency programs in the U.S. have a da Vinci system. In short, its use is spreading, and many people are realizing the benefits.
This is a dramatic improvement over conventional laparoscopy, when a surgeon would have to operate while standing, using instruments that couldn’t bend or rotate. Another disadvantage of the conventional method was that the surgeon would have to look up and away to see a 2D video monitor. On top of that, the surgeon would have to rely on the assistant to properly position the camera for optimal work.
Now, thanks to the da Vinci system’s ergonomic design, surgeons at the Jennie Stuart Medical Center can be comfortably seated, eyes and hands in line with the instruments. They easily manipulate the camera and instruments by simply moving their hands. Da Vinci grants superior vision, improved dexterity, greater precision, and comfort, making it easier to complete minimally invasive procedures with complex and delicate reconstruction. For these reasons and many more, the da Vinci System is the leading robotic surgical system currently in use in the United States.
The da Vinci Surgical System at JSMC
Jennie Stuart Medical Center is one of the few U.S. hospitals of our size using surgical robotics, and we take great pride of being able to expand our clinical capabilities for you. We acquired the technology after our Administration and Department of Surgery staff studied robotic surgical systems for over a year; it helped, too, that we had constant interest from our medical staff members. With da Vinci, our trained surgeons are able to provide you with an even higher level of quality when it comes to the healthcare service you both need and want. However, we make sure to not just stop there. Recently, Dr. Matthew Robinson, MD, FACS, underwent updated da Vinci training, which now allows him to perform a gallbladder removal procedure using only a single incision in the navel. Called a single-site surgery, this procedure is currently only available at a small number of advanced hospitals in the entire country — like us. So when considering a healthcare provider that constantly adapts and evolves, making use of the latest technology to benefit you, consider Jennie Stuart Medical Center in Hopkinsville, KY. If you have any questions at all, or want to schedule an appointment for a consultation, don’t wait to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!
Give us a call today at (270) 887-0100!