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| Robotic-Assisted
Surgery Now Available at Marin General Hospital |
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Robotic-assisted surgery using a new da Vinci®
Surgical System is now being employed at Marin General Hospital.
The robotic platform is designed to enhance surgical ability for
surgeons while using a minimally invasive approach. Currently
hospital surgeons are using the system primarily for gynecologic
procedures and prostate surgery. Gynecologic procedures include
hysterectomies for various uterine conditions, including cancer;
myomectomies for uterine fibroids; and sacrocolpopexies for pelvic
organ prolapse. Plans call for expanded use of the system in the
future for general surgeries.
“This surgical system raises the standard of care for our
patients,” said Dr. David Galland, a Larkspur gynecologist.
“This translates into many patient benefits, including less
pain, shorter hospital stays, a shorter recovery and faster return
to normal daily activities.”
About 300 da Vinci® systems are in use
worldwide. In the North Bay, MGH's system is the only one in
Marin, Sonoma and Lake Counties and is one of only a few
high-definition systems in the entire San Francisco Bay Area.
“We are keeping on the leading edge of medicine,” said
Dr. Galland. "In the field of gynecology, this particular
technology allows us to conduct surgeries we have done through
large abdominal incisions through small minimally invasive
incisions in a way that offers most women significant benefits
over traditional surgery. It's very exciting."
da Vinci® cannot operate without a
surgeon’s expertise. The system is designed to scale, filter
and seamlessly translate the surgeon’s movements into more
precise movements through its robotic instruments. Surgeons sit at
a console in the operating room and control four interactive robot
arms that operate on the patient using a high performance vision
system. The surgical instrument design features jointed wrists,
which exceed the natural range of motion of the human hand, thus
enabling surgeons to operate with greater dexterity and control.
During conventional laparoscopic surgery, surgeons stand using
hand-held, long-shafted instruments, which have no wrists. They
must look up and away from the instruments to a nearby
two-dimensional monitor to see the operating field and rely on a
surgical assistant to position the camera correctly. da
Vinci® transforms the surgical process.
June 16, 2008 |
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