BMH Unveils the da Vinci Surgical System and Comprehensive Robotic-Assisted Surgery Program
Something big has arrived to Bingham Memorial Hospital (BMH) that will help to improve the lives of thousands of people throughout eastern Idaho. BMH has invested in the da Vinci Surgical System and will begin offering a comprehensive robotic-assisted surgery program.
The da Vinci Surgical System was designed with the goal of further advancing the technology used in minimally invasive surgery. If someone has been diagnosed with a condition requiring surgery, they may be a candidate for this technology. Surgeons at BMH are using the system across a spectrum of major specialties, including gynecology, urology, and general surgery. Some of the procedures they will be performing routinely with the da Vinci Surgical System include: hysterectomies, ovary removal for benign conditions, partial nephrectomies, and prostatectomies.
“With our diverse group of specially trained general, gynecology and urology surgeons at the controls,” says Dave Lowry, assistant administrator at BMH, “the da Vinci Surgical System allows for even greater precision, smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays, better clinical outcomes, and faster return to everyday activities.”
It’s important to know that surgery with da Vinci does not mean a robot is performing the surgery. It uses a suite of closely grouped stations: a console from which a surgeon manipulates instruments, the robot at the patient’s bedside, and a three-dimensional color monitor. The surgeon’s assistant keeps an eye on the robot and the monitor. During surgery, a patient lies under the four-armed apparatus. One arm supports a camera that guides the surgeon and the other arms support instruments that have seven planes of motion—one more than the human hand.
“The da Vinci is a vast improvement over the laparoscopic instruments that bridged the gap between the traditional scalpel days and robotic surgery,” says David Sisul, urologist at Bingham Memorial Urology. “With this state-of-the-art robotic technology, surgeons have at their disposal a bevy of advantages only dreamed of a little over a decade ago.”
By enabling efficient access throughout the abdomen or chest, the da Vinci Surgical System expands upon core da Vinci System features, including wristed instruments, 3D-HD visualization, intuitive motion, and an ergonomic design. As with all da Vinci Surgical Systems, the surgeon is 100 percent in control of the robotic-assisted da Vinci System, which translates their hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body. The immersive 3D-HD vision system provides surgeons a highly magnified view, virtually extending their eyes and hands into the patient.
The da Vinci Surgical System is an expandable technology platform that is designed to accommodate and seamlessly integrate a range of current technologies, as well as future innovations, in areas such as imaging, advanced instruments, and anatomical access.
“We are truly thrilled to be leaders in the healthcare industry and are pleased to be bringing more advanced minimally invasive surgical options to eastern Idaho,” says Jeff Daniels, CEO of BMH. “We are committed to excellence and progress, and investing in such a dynamic piece of technology is just one example of how we strive to provide the highest quality of healthcare to our patients, helping to improve lives.”
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