da Vinci Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery

Specially-trained surgeons with Med Center Health have access to da Vinci Surgical System, an advanced set of instruments for performing precise, minimally-invasive procedures. 

What is minimally-invasive surgery?

Minimally-invasive surgery requires just a few incisions. In most cases, this helps the patient recover quicker and with less pain. These kinds of procedures include laparoscopic surgery and robotic-assisted surgery. Laparoscopic surgery uses a long, thin tube with a camera and light on the end with which your surgeon can see what is happening without the need to make much larger openings. Robotic-assisted surgery is an advanced technology where the surgeon operates robotic “arms” that have precision instruments to perform surgery.

What is the da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery System?

The da Vinci Surgical System is manufactured by Intuitive Surgical and has been used successfully for millions of procedures throughout the world since its introduction in the year 2000. During the procedure, the surgeon sits at a console where they have a crystal-clear 3DHD view of the patient’s anatomy. The view is magnified 10 times to what the human eye normally sees. The surgeon controls da Vinci’s tiny instruments, which move like the human hand, but with a much greater range of motion.

da Vinci procedures offered at The Medical Center at Bowling Green

The following are some of the procedures performed at The Medical Center at Bowling Green using the da Vinci Surgical System:

General Surgery

  • Colon Surgery (Colectomy, Colon Resection, Sigmoidectomy)
  • Gall Bladder Removal (Cholecystectomy)
  • Hernia repair
  • Appendectomy (appendix removal)
  • Colostomy (creates an opening in the colon or large intestine through the abdomen for removal of feces)
  • Hiatal Hernia repair
  • Low Anterior Resection with Diverting Ileostomy (rectal cancer surgery)
  • Nissen Fundoplication (to prevent acid reflux in people with GERD)

OB/GYN

  • Hysterectomy (uterus removal)
  • TLH with Salpingectomy (removal of uterus, cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes)
  • Ovarian Cystectomy (removal of cysts from the ovaries)
  • Myomectomy (to remove non-cancerous uterine fibroids)
  • Oopherectomy (removal of one or both ovaries)
  • Sacral Colpopexy (to repair pelvic organ prolapse)
  • Salpingo-oopherectomy (removal of one or both ovaries and fallopian tubes)

Thoracic

  • Tumor removal in the lungs
  • Thymectomies (removal of the thymus gland)
  • Paraesophageal Hiatal Hernia repair
  • Other minimally-invasive surgeries of the esophagus, diaphragm and stomach

Urology

  • Nephrectomy (removal of a kidney)
  • Prostatectomy (removal of the prostate gland)
  • Adrenalectomy (removal of one or both adrenal glands)
  • Cystectomy (removal of all or part of the bladder)
  • Cystolithotomy (removal of bladder stones)
  • Lymph Node Dissection (removal of lymph nodes to check for cancer)
  • Pyeloplasty (surgical reconstruction of part of the kidney)
  • Uretal Reimplantation (surgery to fix the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder)
  • Ureterostomy (surgery to redirect the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to a stoma — a surgical opening in the skin — bypassing the bladder)

Every patient and surgery is unique.  Be sure to discuss all options with your doctor and ask if minimally-invasive surgery with the da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgical System is right for you.