Robotic Surgery

Patients can have less pain, quicker recovery times, smaller incisions and other benefits as Wellington Regional Medical Center surgeons utilize two da Vinci^® Surgical XI advanced robotic platforms to perform complex procedures using a minimally invasive approach. Surgeons are now using the da Vinci Surgical Systems to perform the following procedures:

• General surgery
• Gynecologic surgery
• Single-site gallbladder surgery
• Thoracic surgery
• Urological surgery
• Weight-loss surgery

Maximum precision, 360 Rotation, 3D Magnification

Minimally invasive surgical techniques allows surgeons to operate through small incisions or existing body openings, rather than use the large incisions required in traditional open surgery. In conventional minimally invasive procedures, a surgeon’s vision, access and range of motion are limited because of the way surgical instruments enter the body.

The da Vinci Surgical System helps alleviate that problem by allowing surgeons to maneuver into small spaces within the body with 3D magnification while providing a greater range of motion and precision with specialized instruments.

During surgery, surgeons make a series of three tiny incisions (ports for instruments) in the body through which the da Vinci^® robotic arms are inserted. The three robotic arms are inserted through the ports. One of the arms is a tiny video camera and the other two hold surgical instruments. Sitting at a computer console located about ten feet from the operating table, the surgeon views a three-dimensional image from inside the patient’s body. From the console, the surgeon controls the robotic arms that are inside the patient.

Benefits of Robotic Surgery

Robotic surgery can provide a variety of benefits to patients, including:

• Reduced pain and trauma to the body
• Less blood loss and reduced need for transfusions
• Less postoperative pain and discomfort
• Lower risk of infection
• Shorter hospital stays
• Quicker recovery and return to work
• Less scarring and improved cosmetics
• More precise surgery

Candidates for Robotic Surgery

Not all procedures can be done robotically, and not all patients are candidates for robotic procedures. If you would like to know if your surgery can be performed with the da Vinci Surgical System, contact us about your condition and a surgeon will help determine if you may be a candidate for robotic surgery. The response you receive will be only a guideline. Only your surgeon can decide if your procedure can be performed robotically.

Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if robotic surgery is right for you.