Durham Regional Hospital Health Spot- da Vinci Surgical System

Durham, NC- Durham Regional Hospital has welcomed a new surgical assistant to its Operating Rooms, a four-armed surgical robot called the da Vinci Surgical System. The system enables surgeons to perform complex surgeries through a minimally invasive approach.

The da Vinci Surgical System consists of an ergonomic surgeon's console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high resolution 3D HD camera and EndoWrist instruments.

The surgeon operates from a comfortable, seated position at the console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments. The surgeon uses the console's master controls to maneuver the patient-side cart's four robotic arms, which securely hold the EndoWrist instruments and high-resolution endoscopic camera. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, the surgeon simply moves their hands. The da Vinci System is designed to scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon's hand movements into more precise movements.

According to Samuel Huang, MD, of Triangle Urology Associates, PA, and a member of Durham Regional's Medical Staff, "the robot allows the surgeon to have a range of motion which surpasses a human wrist, while moving in an area the size of a tennis ball. All the while, we have 12 times the magnification. This results in superior visualization and a greater ability to perform very complex maneuvers within a confined space."

Surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System has many of the same advantages as other forms of minimally invasive surgery including less pain, less blood loss and a shorter hospital stay. According to Dr. Huang, the da Vinci also leads to "a better cosmetic result with many small incisions being less noticeable than one large one and outcomes for cancer control equivalent with those done by open surgery."

Physicians are trained on the da Vinci Surgical System according to the experience and laparoscopic skill level of the surgeon. Surgeons may hone their skills on simulation labs and by attending surgeries performed at other institutions. All surgeons are also proctored by an experienced surgeon who not only instructs but participates in the surgery.

Durham Regional is fortunate to have Urologist, Brian Evans, MD, a member of Triangle Urology Associates, PA, and an expert with the da Vinci Surgical System, according to Intuitive Surgical, the maker of the da Vinci robot. Evans has been involved in over 150 da Vinci procedures and is frequently consulted by other urologists and hospitals around the United States to help them learn this technique.

According to Huang, "robotics is quickly becoming the future of medicine. It is amazing we are able to provide this within a community hospital, where patients get more individual treatment and care from staff and physicians."