By Rick Elkins
Visalia
- Kaweah Delta Regional Medical Center really stepped into the 21st
century last week with the delivery of the da Vinci Surgical System, the
first robotic surgical system in Tulare and Kings counties and one of
only a handful in the entire state.
“It's very exciting technology,” said Lindsay Mann, CEO of the hospital district. He said the robotic system provides for better outcomes, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times for patients.
The delivery of the da Vinci SI surgical system comes on the heels of the hospital's unveiling of the new robotic imaging system installed in the hospital's endovascular surgical suite in March. The two make the hospital one of the most modern in the state in terms of technology.
“It is the pinnacle of robotic surgery,” said Mann of the da Vinci system.
The $2 million piece of equipment was delivered June 29 and a surgical team is already undergoing training. The first surgery using the four-armed robot will be at the end of this month or early in August.
Plans are to use the surgery in urology or gynecology cases only at first, but Mann pointed out it will eventually be used for other surgeries. Dr. Mary Prah and Dr. Tui Hong will be the first to use the new tool. Both have been doing robotic surgeries at St. Agnes Hospital in Fresno, one of two hospitals in Fresno that have the robotic system.
“It has potential applications in the future for cardiac valve and general surgeries. It is very versatile,” he said.
According to the manufacturer's website - Intuitive Surgical – “the system is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. The da Vinci System consists of an ergonomic surgeon's console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance 3D HD vision system and proprietary EndoWrist® instruments.”
The company, which is headquartered in Sunnyvale, said the da Vinci System is designed to scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon's hand movements into more precise movements of the EndoWrist instruments.
“It takes out unwanted movement,” explained Louis Triana, the factor trainer who was working with the five-member surgical team last week.
It is a laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery system that means the minimally invasive surgery is performed through dime-sized (1-2 cm) incisions — also called operating ports. That is in contrast to the much larger incisions used in traditional, open surgery, which are often as large as 6-12 inches long. As few as three holes are all that is needed and one of those is for the camera.
Also, pointed out Triana, the camera image is magnified 10 times and is three dimensional, giving the surgeon a very clear view of where they are working.
“The magnification is a huge issue. It sees better than the human eye,” stressed Triana. He also said the system does a “million safety checks” a second.
Wendy Heatherly, RN and head of the surgical team, is also excited to see the latest in surgical techniques come to Kaweah Delta.
“It allows our patient population to stay local. That's one of the things we're most excited about,” she said as the team took a break from training.
Triana said the use of the robotic system does not add cost to the patient. He said it is charged the same as any other laparoscopic surgery. Actually, there is a savings.
A hospital stay from a non-laparoscopic surgery is three to five days. With the da Vinci, it is just two days.
In surgery, the surgeon sits at a console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, the surgeon simply moves his or her hands.
The surgical team assists by changing the laparoscopes, with suction and other functions, much the same they do with other surgeries.
“The robot does not take any jobs,” said Bryce Egger, another member of the team. While five staff members are being trained now, Heatherly said more will be trained in the future. Also, the hospital is sending the team to Ohio State University, where the first de Vinci system was installed, for some intense one-on-one training.
Noel Ahedo, another RN, said the team is up to the challenge. “We have a great team. We're very capable of doing it,” he said of the new surgery.
Mann and Heatherly both praised the Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation, hospital employees and the community for raising the $2 million to purchase the da Vinci system.
“It's pretty remarkable in this economy that the community responded so well,” said Mann. “It's important to me that employees have been pledging money. We should all be celebrating,” said Heatherly.
The da Vinci System is called "da Vinci" in part because Leonardo da Vinci invented the first robot. da Vinci also used unparalleled anatomical accuracy and three-dimensional details to bring his masterpieces to life, according to the company's website.
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