Erlanger East Hospital surgical services recently welcomed a new addition – the da Vinci Xi Surgical System.
The device allows surgeons to see anatomical structures in the body with better definition and make hard-to-reach areas easier to access, according to a press release.
Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery during which surgeons use small surgical instruments that fit into a patient’s body through four to five half-inch incisions.
The instruments are mounted on three robotic arms, while a fourth arm holds a magnified three-dimensional, high-definition vision system and tiny wristed instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist.
Dr. Kent Childs, the first surgeon to use the robot, says, “The new system will allow us to further grow the robotics program. Most importantly, these moves will benefit our patients by improving patient care and outcomes.”
Erlanger urology and oncology surgeon Dr. Benjamin Waldorf, says, “With the addition of the new robotic surgical system at Erlanger East, our urology team will be able to perform a greater number and variety of robotic urologic surgical procedures.
“I’m currently performing robotic surgery at Erlanger East for prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia, and my partner, Dr. Okafor, utilizes the robot for complex female pelvic reconstruction.
“We believe the addition of the new system will allow us to serve a greater portion of the men and women in the Chattanooga region.”
Source: Erlanger