daVinci Robotic Surgery

At Deaconess Hospital, we’re proud to bring you the advantages of the new da Vinci S Robotic Surgery System.  It allows us to perform advanced, minimally invasive procedures that use smaller incisions and help reduce complications.  That means you can get back to your life and loved ones sooner.  Ask your doctor if this minimally invasive technology is right for you. 

Deaconess Hospital is currently performing gynecologic surgeries using robotic-assisted surgery, but will soon expand into other specialties. 

Robotic-assisted surgery at Deaconess Hospital provides surgeons with an alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy, by putting a surgeon’s hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robotic platform.

Robotic Surgery's Benefits for Patients

• Shorter hospital stay
• 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

How do I find a surgeon who performs Robotic-Assisted surgery?
Deaconess Hospital has four surgeons who are currently trained to perform gynecologic robotic-assisted surgery.  Their contact information is listed below. 

Gynecology

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.

From the computer console, the surgeon looks through a camera 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 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.

The surgeon is always in control, sitting at the console a few feet from the patient.

The surgeon performs surgery with unmatched precision, operating the instruments in real time.

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: 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 robotic-assisted surgery been cleared by the FDA?
A: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared robotic-assisted surgery 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 robotic-assisted surgery, please contact one of the trained physicians listed above.