Robotic Assisted Surgery
Memorial has one of the most active robotic programs in south Mississippi with 16 robotically-skilled surgeons working in three different specialties, assisted by a highly trained surgical support team of nurses and technicians.
Minimally Invasive Surgery with the da Vinci Si HD® Robotic Surgical System
Traditional Surgery vs. Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery
The past two decades have witnessed a revolutionary transition in surgical technique and technology.
Traditionally, surgeries had been performed in the open manner, in which large incisions were required for the surgeon to plainly observe and manipulate the surgical field.
These incisions inevitably created significant patient trauma—substantial pain and suffering, extended recovery time, prolonged pain management and elevated costs.
About Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery
During the surgery, the surgeon is seated at a console a few feet away from the patient. They view an actual image of the surgical field while operating in real time through tiny incisions using miniaturized, wristed instruments. At no time does the surgeon see a virtual image or program/command the system to perform any maneuver on its own or outside the surgeon’s direct, real-time control.
These wristed instruments provide seven degrees of freedom, three dimensions, intuitive visualization, and ergonomic comfort.
Robotic-Assisted Surgery Benefits for Surgeons
Some of the major benefits experienced by surgeons using the da Vinci Si Surgical System over traditional approaches have been:
- Greater surgical precision
- Increased range of motion
- Improved dexterity
- Enhanced visualization
- Improved access
Robotic-Assisted Surgery Benefits for Patients
Benefits experienced by patients may include:
- A shorter hospital stay
- Less pain
- Less risk of infection
- Less blood loss
- Fewer transfusions
- Less scarring
- Faster recovery
- A quicker return to normal daily activities
None of these benefits can be guaranteed, as surgery is necessarily both patient- and procedure-specific. Normal surgical complications may occur with surgery. Talk this over with your doctor.
Procedures Using Robot-Assisted MIS
Robotic surgery may be used for a number of different procedures, including:
- Cutting away cancer tissue from sensitive parts of the body such as blood vessels, nerves, or important body organs
- Gallbladder removal
- Hysterectomy
- Kidney removal
- Pyeloplasty (surgery to correct ureteropelvic junction obstruction)
- Pyloroplasty
- Radical prostatectomy
- Tubal ligation
- Hernias: hiatal, abdominal, umbilical and inguinal
Robotic surgery cannot be used for some complex procedures.
Talk to Your Doctor About da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery
If you need to have surgery, consider one of the board certified General Surgeons of Memorial. Get a referral from your primary care provider and contact the Surgical Services team at (228) 575-1200.