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First Robotic-Assisted Surgery at Mt. Clemens Regional Medical Center
A surgical team at Mt. Clemens Regional Medical Center successfully completed the hospital’s first robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery. The team, led by urologists Jon Suleskey, D.O. and Darryl Reaume, D.O., utilized MCG’s new da Vinci ® Surgical System to perform a radical prostatectomy.
The da Vinci ® Surgical System from Intuitive Surgical, Inc., is a state-of-the-art robotic platform designed to advance the hospital’s minimally invasive surgery initiative. The robotic system complements the important benefits of minimally invasive surgery for patients undergoing cardiothoracic, urologic, gynecologic, oncologic and general surgical procedures.
The robotic system introduces a new degree of freedom and control for the surgeon by advancing the laparoscopic surgical technique. “Before robotic assistance, surgeons performed laparoscopic procedures with rigid instruments that were ergonomically difficult on the surgeon,” said Dr. Suleskey. “The robotic system allows the use of surgical instruments that are designed to mimic the movement of the human hands, wrists and fingers.”
Procedures using the da Vinci® Surgical System are performed with no direct mechanical connection between the surgeon and the patient. The surgeon works a few feet from the operating table while seated comfortably at a computer console with a magnified, three-dimensional view of the operating field. The surgeon operates two controls that work the mechanical arms and precise instruments on the robot. The system enhances surgical capabilities by enabling complex surgery to be performed through small ports rather than large incisions.
Robotic-assisted surgery is different from traditional “open” surgery in that the surgeon does not experience the same sense of touch, but Dr. Suleskey states that the system’s high-tech optics make up for the loss of sensation. “Surgeons work within a three-dimensional field that offers an enlarged, highly detailed view of blood vessels, nerves and arteries,” he said.
Dr. Suleskey pointed out that the goal of cancer surgery is to extricate all cancerous tissue (tumors) and check the surrounding area of “margins” for any evidence of remaining cancer. Early studies have shown that margins containing cancer are reduced with the precision offered by the da Vinci® Surgical System.
“The robotic option is advancing laparoscopic surgery by improving patient safety,” said Dr. Suleskey. “Surgery is made safer with less blood loss and a lower transfusion rate, much smaller incisions plus less trauma to nerves. In a robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, the patient experiences less pain and there appears to be reduced rates of impotence and incontinence.”
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