Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is approaching another milestone for robotic surgery cases. Before the year ends, the system will have performed more than 3,000 robotic cases at the Gainesville and Braselton campuses. NGMC is one of 3 health systems in the state with a da Vinci Xi Surgical System. The Xi System has broader capabilities than prior generations of the da Vinci System and can be used for surgeries that involve multiple quadrants of the body. Robotic surgery is a form of minimally invasive surgery which uses advanced, robotic technologies to assist the surgeon. More than 1.5 million surgeries have been performed worldwide using the da Vinci® Surgical System.
The da Vinci® Surgical System has a 3D high definition (3D-HD) vision system, special instruments and computer software which allow the surgeon to operate with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control. The 3D-HD image can be magnified up to 10 times so the surgeon has a detailed, clear view of the surgical area. The da Vinci® instruments have mechanical wrists that bend and rotate to mimic the movements of the human wrist without requiring the space required for the human hand. With the robotic system, the surgeon can make small, precise movements inside the body. In addition, da Vinci® software can minimize the effects of a surgeon’s hand tremors on instrument movements.
Currently, the da Vinci® Surgical System is being used at Northeast Georgia Medical Center for hysterectomies and other gynecological procedures, abdominal surgeries including hernia repair and gallbladder surgery, urological surgeries and bariatric surgeries. Compared with open surgery, robotic-assisted surgeries may offer smaller incisions and minimal scarring, shorter hospital stays, less blood loss, fewer complications, less need for narcotic pain medicine and a faster recovery.
Patients considering surgery should talk with their doctor about the risks and benefits
of all treatment options. A physician’s training, experience and judgment are important factors to consider when making this decision.
Talk to your doctor to see if robotic surgery is right for you. For a list of robotic surgeons at NGMC, visit www.nghs.com/braselton-davinci.
