daVinci Robotic Surgery
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a condition that may require surgery, you owe it to yourself to learn about all of your medical options. You will want to know the most effective and least invasive surgical treatments available. The da Vinci® Surgical System provides surgeons with an alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy.
In The News
Robotic Surgery's Benefits for Patients
- Less pain after the surgery
- Less scarring after surgery
- Lower risk of infection
- Less blood loss and fewer transfusions
- Faster recovery and a faster return to normal daily living activities
- With this technology, patients spend less time in the hospital than those who have traditional surgeries:
- With robotic hysterectomies (removal of the uterus), the patient’s average hospital stay after surgery is reduced by nearly 60 percent.
- Robotic prostatectomies (removal of the prostate gland) reduce hospital stays by about one third.
- Robotic prostatectomies also cut blood loss in half while narcotics use is reduced by nearly 20 percent.
- Sixty-three percent of robotic prostatectomy patients need only half the dose of narcotic pain medication. All these figures add up to a quicker recovery for patients so they can get back to their busy lives.
Procedures Provided at CSMC
- da Vinci Hysterectomy
- da Vinci Prostatectomy
The da Vinci robot is also used to perform heart surgeries. Thanks to cardiothoracic surgeon H. Andrew Hansen II, M.D., a procedure called transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR) can help patients with chronic angina (chest pain) that can’t be treated with surgery or angioplasty and stents. CSMC is the only hospital in the Brazos Valley with robotic technology, and we’re one of five centers in the United States offering TMR. Ask your physician whether robotic surgery is right for you.
Specially trained CSMC physicians At CSMC, the following physicians are trained to use the da Vinci surgical robot:
- Royal Benson, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist
- Jennifer Blasingame, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist
- John Cochran, M.D., urologist
- Daniel Dawson, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist
- H. Andrew Hansen II , M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon
- Noreen Johnson, M.D., gynecologist
- David Meduna, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist
How Does Robotic-Assisted Surgery Work?
The surgeon works at the computer console. There is an assistant surgeon, anesthesiologist, and an O.R. nurse by the patient’s bed, along with the robotic equipment.
The doctor makes tiny incisions (the size of a dime) and guides the robotic arms with attached instruments and a tiny camera through the incisions. At the computer console, the surgeon looks through a camera with that can magnify the organs and other structures inside the body by 10x. Most laparoscopic surgeries provide doctors with 4x magnification. The surgeon can change the surgical view instantly, using foot pedals to zoom in and out. The movement of the surgeon’s fingers is transmitted (via the computer console) to the instrument tips on the other robotic arms. These instruments mimic the movements of the surgeon’s hands and wrists. They have the same 360-degree range of motion that the surgeon has. This gives the doctor an ambidextrous capability and terrific surgical precision.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Will my insurance cover my surgery if it is robot assisted?
A: Once your insurance approves your surgery, it will be covered if your surgeon uses the da Vinci robot as well. The robot is simply a tool used by your surgeon to improve the outcome for your surgery.
Q: Why is the robot called the da Vinci® Surgical System?
A: The name “da Vinci” was chosen because Leonardo da Vinci invented the first robot. He was well known for using unparalleled anatomical accuracy and three-dimensional details to bring his masterpieces to life. The da Vinci Surgical System provides surgeons with enhanced detail and simulates an open surgical environment while allowing operation through tiny incisions.
Q: Can the surgeon feel anything inside the patient's chest or abdomen while using the da Vinci Surgical System?
A: Yes. The system relays force feedback sensations from the operative field back to the surgeon throughout the procedure. Force feedback provides a substitute for tactile sensation.
Q: Has the da Vinci Surgical System been cleared by the FDA?
A: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the da Vinci Surgical System for a wide range of procedures. Please see the FDA Clearance page for specific clearances and representative uses.
For More Information
For more information on our Robotic Surgical Services Program call 979-693-2762.