Robotic Surgery

Robot-Assisted Surgery: Setting New Surgical Standards

The use of the da Vinci® Surgical System in our surgical suites at Mease Countryside continues to set a new standard of care in the surgical treatment of prostate and uterine conditions, including uterine fibroids and endometriosis. General Surgery, ENT, and vascular specialties also continue to provide the most current, innovative capabilities to optimize patient outcomes with robotics.

Da Vinci® robotic technology enables surgeons to combine their skilled hands and critical judgment with the unprecedented precision and sensitivity of robotic-assistance to perform minimally-invasive laparoscopic procedures. The result is changing and improving the surgical experience for patients.

Patient Benefits of Robot-Assisted Surgery

• Surgery is performed through small abdominal incisions, resulting in minimal blood loss
• Surgeons have a three-dimensional view of arteries, veins and nerves, which improves surgeon dexterity and decreases chance of nerve damage
• Fewer complications, including less risk of infection or hernias
• Less pain, which decreases reliance on narcotic painkillers to control discomfort
• Shorter length of hospital stay and recovery time
• A normal diet can be resumed immediately following surgery
Conventional laparoscopic surgery - which is also a minimally-invasive technique - remains a valuable option for patients who may not be candidates for robotic surgery.

How Robotic-Assisted Surgery Works

The da Vinci® Robotic System has three components:
1. Insight visual system - produces clear three-dimensional images and magnifies the surgical area ten times larger
2. Surgical cart - includes four robotic arms for the surgery
3. Surgical console - the surgeon accesses the robotic arms and visual system

During the operation, the surgeon sits at the surgical console several feet away from the patient and looks through the visual system, which acts like a binocular, for a magnified view of the operation area. Meanwhile, he uses hand controls to move the robotic arms, which are specially-designed instruments that provide the surgeon with a complete rotational axis while performing the surgery. One of the four arms has a camera to display the internal organs while the other three arms have surgical tools. The robotic arms scale, filter and translate the surgeon's movements to make them more precise, allowing for smaller incisions versus large, open abdominal incisions, which increase the risk of infection.

Is a Robot Performing My Surgery?

Robotic-assisted surgery is exactly that: robotic-assisted. The da Vinci® Surgical System cannot be programmed or make decisions on its own, so it could never replace your surgeon. It can only replicate the movements of the surgeon, which it does in real time, enabling your surgeon to be more precise and enhancing his ability to perform complex, minimally-invasive surgery.

For more information about robotic surgery, please call (727) 462-3000.

Mease Countryside Hospital
3231 McMullen Booth Rd.
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 725-6111

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