da Vinci Surgical System
The future of robotic surgery
The da Vinci® Surgical System is robot-assisted technology that combines the precision of microinstruments with the superior visualization of a microscope. To date, the da Vinci system has been used successfully worldwide in hundreds of thousands of procedures.
This state-of-the-art technology allows surgeons to enter and exit the body to remove diseased areas without cutting into surrounding muscles, nerves, and tissues. This translates into numerous potential patient benefits compared to open surgery, including:
- Less pain
- Less blood loss
- Shorter hospital stay
- Fewer complications
- Excellent cancer control, where indicated
- Faster return to normal activities
Fast Facts
- da Vinci procedures are now routinely performed for a wide range of conditions in specialties including cardiac, thoracic, urologic, gynecologic, pediatric, general, and transoral surgery.
- More U.S. women now choose da Vinci surgery for minimally invasive hysterectomy than conventional laparoscopy or vaginal surgery.
- Roughly three out of four prostate cancer surgeries in the U.s. are performed using da Vinci; more U.S. men facing prostate cancer choose da Vinci surgery than any other treatment.
- Recent studies show that when comparing surgical removal of the prostate to radiation, surgery (open, minimally invasive and robotic-assisted) had the lower cancer death rate.
A Robot-Assisted Helping Hand
Though it is often called a “robot,” the da Vinci system cannot act on its own—surgery is performed 100 percent by the physician. The da Vinci system consists of a computer console and robotic arms with flexible wrists that hold a tiny camera and microinstruments. During surgery, the surgeon sits at the computer console viewing a highly magnified three-dimensional image of the patient’s anatomy while using hand-and-finger devices to precisely direct the robotic arms. Wristed instruments and fingertip control provide a degree of motion and dexterity that is vital in complex suturing and dissection. It enables surgeons to do things they cannot do with standard instruments.
Pioneering Virtually Scarless Surgery
The da Vinci system enables surgeons at SJRMC to offer single-incision surgery for gallbladder procedures. Traditionally, this procedure required three or four incisions to remove a gallbladder, but with da Vinci, there is only one, which is then hidden by the belly button. Surgeons at SJRMC are also using the da Vinci system to remove cancerous prostates and for vaginal hysterectomies. The high-definition 3D viewer delivers razor-sharp images of tissue and anatomy rich in anatomical detail crucial to complex dissection and reconstructive procedures.
While clinical studies support the effective-ness of the da Vinci Surgical System when used in minimally invasive surgery for specific indications, individual results may vary. There are no guarantees of outcome. All surgeries involve the risk of major complications. Before you decide on surgery, discuss treatment options with your doctor.