Location2F of the main building in the operating room
PurchaseApril, 2017 (updated)
The da Vinci surgical system gives your surgeon an advanced set of instruments to use in performing robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. The term “robotic” often misleads people. Robots don’t perform surgery. Your surgeon performs surgery with da Vinci by using instruments that he or she guides via a console.
The da Vinci surgical system helps enable your surgeon to perform minimally invasive surgery with an advanced set of instruments and a 3D high-definition view of the surgical area. Minimally invasive surgery with da Vinci is widely used in urology and gynecology procedures, and in several other procedures, too.
One reason surgeons use da Vinci is because it may provide improved outcomes. For example, one outcome is reducing the number of complications associated with hysterectomy for benign conditions. A review of published studies suggests patients who had this procedure with da Vinci may experience fewer complications compared to patients who had open2-5 and laparoscopic2,5,6 surgery.
Within your abdomen are vital organs that make it possible for you to convert food into energy and nutrients to fuel your body. The organs of your digestive tract include your stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and intestines. When conditions affecting your digestive tract lower your quality of life, and if lifestyle changes, medicines, and other options don’t improve your symptoms, your doctor may suggest surgery.
In the past, surgeons made large incisions in skin and muscle so that they could directly see and work on the area of concern. This is called open surgery. Today doctors still perform open surgery, but can also perform many procedures in the abdomen and on the digestive tract, often called General Surgery, using minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci technology.
Both minimally invasive approaches only require one or a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical equipment and a camera for viewing. In laparoscopic surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools to perform surgery while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.
The urology specialty covers conditions of the male and female urinary tract system and the male reproductive system. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, bladder, and associated connective tissues and muscles. The male reproductive system encompasses the prostate gland, penis, testicles, and associated connective structures. Conditions that cause problems of these systems include, but are not limited to, enlarged prostate, benign tumors, and cancer and may require medical attention. In the case of cancer or when lifestyle changes, medicine, and other options do not ease symptoms of other conditions, your doctor may suggest surgery.
In the past, surgeons made large incisions in skin and muscle so that they could directly see and work on the area of concern. This is called open surgery. Today doctors still perform open surgery, but they can also perform many urologic procedures using minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci technology.
Both minimally invasive surgical options require one or a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical equipment and a camera for viewing. In laparoscopic surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools to perform surgery while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.
The gynecology specialty covers conditions of the internal female reproductive system, which includes the uterus (womb), ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and vagina. When your reproductive system develops a problem, it can affect many aspects of your health and quality of life. Gynecologic conditions such as severe pelvic pain, endometriosis, fibroids, abnormal bleeding, pelvic organ prolapse, and cancer are common and may require medical care. When lifestyle changes, medicine, and other options do not ease your symptoms, your doctor may suggest surgery.
In the past, surgeons made large incisions in skin and muscle so that they could directly see and work on the area of concern. This is called open surgery. Today doctors still perform open surgery, but they can also perform many gynecologic procedures using minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci technology. Both minimally invasive approaches require one or a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical equipment and a camera for viewing. In laparoscopic surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools to perform surgery while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.
The lower part of your digestive tract, called the large intestine, is comprised of the colon and rectum and is also sometimes called the colorectal region. It can develop issues that range from occasionally bothersome to life-threatening. As an example, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women who live in the U.S., with more than 145,000 new cases expected in 2019.1
There are also a number of noncancerous conditions that can cause pain and discomfort. These include, but are not limited to, inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, blockages and ruptures, infected pockets (diverticulitis) and abscesses, and others that can take a toll of your quality of life and may require medical care. In the case of cancer or when lifestyle changes, medicine, and other options do not ease symptoms of noncancerous conditions, your doctor may suggest surgery.
In the past, surgeons made large incisions in skin and muscle so that they could directly see and work on the area of concern. This is called open surgery. Today doctors still perform open surgery, but can also perform many colorectal procedures using minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci technology. Both minimally invasive surgical options require a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical equipment and a camera for viewing. In laparoscopic surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools to perform surgery while viewing magnified images from the laparoscope (camera) on a video screen.
Heart disease is a serious health problem in the U.S. and the leading cause of death in both men and women. However, the term “heart disease” covers a variety of conditions that affect the heart. One of the most common is coronary artery disease, which is a cardiovascular (heart plus blood vessels) condition caused by plaque buildup inside your arteries that narrows or closes off blood flow to your heart muscle. Coronary artery disease can result in a heart attack if a blocked artery cuts off blood flow to an area of your heart muscle, depriving it of oxygen.
There are other types of heart disease, as well, including valve disorders. These happen when any of the four valves that keep blood flowing through the heart in the right direction fail to function as they should. Valve problems that develop in adults most often involve the aortic and mitral valves.
Depending on the type, your symptoms, and if you receive a diagnosis early or after a heart condition has progressed, doctors have many ways to treat heart diseases. Treatments can range from lifestyle changes and medicines to surgery.
In the past, the only way doctors could operate on the heart was through open surgery. Open heart surgery requires a long incision down the center of the chest. Surgeons must also cut through the breastbone and open the ribcage to allow doctors to see and work on the heart. Though open heart surgery is still performed, surgeons can now perform procedures using minimally invasive approaches.
For coronary artery bypass surgery, two minimally invasive surgical approaches are thoracoscopic surgery or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci. These require only a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical equipment and a camera for viewing. In thoracoscopic heart surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools to perform surgery while viewing magnified images from the thorascope (camera) on a video screen.
For mitral valve repair, thoracoscopic surgery and robotic-assisted surgery can also be used. A third minimally invasive option repairs the mitral valve using a catheter. A small incision is made in the groin, then a thin tube (catheter) is threaded through a vein toward the heart. Once there, surgeons will repair or replace the valve.
When doctors talk about thoracic conditions, they generally mean conditions affecting the lungs, esophagus (muscular tube that connects your throat to your stomach), trachea (windpipe), ribs and breastbone, connective muscles and tissues, and membranes that line your chest cavity and protect your organs. While the chest also contains your heart, conditions of the heart are most often talked about as cardiac or cardiovascular conditions.
Thoracic conditions that require medical care include cancer found in any area of the chest, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), benign tumors, trauma-related injuries, hernias in this region, and others. In the case of cancer or when lifestyle changes, medicine, and other options do not ease symptoms of other conditions, your doctor may suggest surgery.
In the past, doctors only performed open surgery, which required a long incision in the chest skin and muscles. Open chest surgeries also often required surgeons to separate the ribs, crack the breastbone, or remove a rib to allow the surgeon to see and work on the area of concern. Today, surgeons can perform many procedures using minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci.
Both minimally invasive surgical approaches require only a few small incisions that doctors use to insert surgical equipment and a camera for viewing. In video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, doctors use special long-handled tools to perform surgery while viewing magnified images from the videoscope (camera) on a video screen.
Conditions of the head and neck cover a wide range. They include, but are not limited to, cancers of the mouth, soft palate, tongue, throat, and tonsils. Doctors who see patients with cancers found in the mouth or throat may recommend chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation therapy, surgery, or a combination of these options. Their recommendation will depend on the stage of the cancer, the patient’s overall health, and other factors. Other noncancerous conditions related to the back of the mouth, tongue, and throat exist for which doctors may suggest surgery, as well.
In the past, doctors performed open surgery, which required a long incision (cut) from the bottom lip down to the middle of the neck and up to the ear. Surgeons also had to split open the jaw to be able to reach the back of the mouth and throat. Today, for benign (noncancerous) conditions and early stage cancers, doctors can also use minimally invasive transoral (through the mouth) surgery that requires no incisions. Transoral surgery options may include endoscopic, laser microsurgery, or robotic-assisted surgery, possibly with da Vinci.
In endoscopic head and neck surgery (eHNS), the surgeon passes a long, lighted tube with a camera (called an endoscope) down the throat. The surgeon passes surgical instruments into the throat and performs surgery while viewing magnified images on a video screen. Transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) also uses an endoscope and views magnified images on a screen, but the surgeon uses a microlaser instead of a scalpel to perform the surgery. Transoral robotic-assisted surgery (TORS) also requires no incisions but uses robotic technology such as da Vinci to perform surgery.