If your
doctor has recommended surgery, researching your procedure and surgical
options can provide you with both knowledge, to ensure the quickest
recovery possible, as well as peace-of-mind in knowing what to expect
before, during and following surgery. At McLaren Regional Medical
Center, we are always working with our surgeons to bring the latest
proven treatments to our patients and maintaining the safest environment
of care. Here, eligible surgical patients can benefit from an innovative
surgical system that is powered by sophisticated robotic technology. In
2005, McLaren was the first hospital in the Genesee-Lapeer-Shiawassee
region to acquire the da Vinci Surgical System and among the first in
the state to offer patients robotic-assisted surgery.
Several hundred robotic-assisted
surgeries have been performed at McLaren by the broad team of physician
specialists specially-trained in surgical robotics. Urological, cardiac,
gynecologic, bariatric, and certain general surgeries are performed with
the enhanced capabilities of the da Vinci Surgical System.
Q: What is minimally invasive
surgery?
A: Minimally invasive surgery is when
surgical procedures are performed using very small incisions. Surgeons
use specialized pencil-thin instruments to perform a surgical task
beneath the skin aided by the use of a fiberoptic camera. The
exceptionally clear image is projected onto a large monitor in the
Operating Room for a magnified image of the surgical site. Many major
procedures can now be performed using this technique. The term
laparoscopy is used when this type of surgery is performed in the
abdomen. It's called arthroscopy when performed in a joint, and
endoscopy when done through a natural opening in the body, such as the
mouth, nose, rectum or vagina.
Q: What is robotic-assisted
surgery?
A: Robotic-assisted surgery, a type of
minimally invasive surgery (MIS), uses surgical robotic equipment which
imitates surgical movements. MIS procedures allow surgeons to operate
through small ports rather than large incisions, resulting in shorter
recovery times, fewer complications and reduced hospital stays. Surgical
robotics combines minimally invasive surgery with highly advanced clinical
technology.
Here at McLaren, we use the daVinci Surgical
Robot System which enhances surgical capabilities by enabling the
performance of complex surgeries through tiny surgical openings.
The system allows surgeon's hand movements to be scaled, filtered and
translated into precise movements of micro-instruments within the
operative site. The da Vinci system has been successfully used in
thousands of procedures worldwide.
Q: What are
advantages of robotic-assisted surgery?
A: The advantages of your surgeon using the
robotic-assisted surgery are:
- Shorter hospital stays
- Less pain
- Less risk of infection
- Faster recovery
- Less scarring
- Reduced blood loss and transfusions
Major
advantages for surgeons using robotic-assistance during surgery
include:
- Greater visualization
- Enhanced surgeon dexterity
- Greater
precision