Robotic Surgery

Less Pain.  Faster Recovery.

Introducing the da Vinci High Definition Robot

About Robotic Surgery

Memorial Health System of East Texas is the first hospital in Texas to acquire the da Vinci High Definition Robotic Surgery System.  This state-of-the-art technology provides surgeons with an alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy.  Using robotic controls, which manipulate surgical instruments at the operating table, a surgeon can precisely maneuver instruments allowing experienced surgeons a wider degree of motion to perform an operation.

By putting a surgeon’s hands at the controls of the da Vinci Robotic platform, surgeons can perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision.  This means less pain and a quicker recovery time. 

The surgeon’s hands control every movement of the robotic arms. Much like the surgeon’s hands and wrists, the robotic arms can rotate and move in any direction, extending the range of the surgeon’s expert touch while still using laparoscopic techniques. This allows the surgeon to maneuver precise instruments exactly as needed, even within a small space within the body.  Unlike standard laparoscopic surgery, in which surgeons operate through small incisions and are limited in how much they can angle or turn their instruments, the da Vinci system allows an experienced surgeon to have more freedom of motion to perform an operation.

The da Vinci surgical robot evolved from laparoscopic surgery but expands on the technology by providing physicians with vivid 3-D vision, 10x magnification, wrist-like capabilities and six degrees of freedom in the abdomen.

Using daVinci, traditional open surgery can be accomplished endoscopically, with smaller incisions. The daVinci Surgical System has been used in tens of thousands of minimally-invasive procedures worldwide.  

Procedures

• Prostatectomy 
• Hysterectomy
• Pelvic Disorders
• Heart
• Lungs
• Kidneys
• Prostate
• Gynecology

Improved Patient Outcomes

By enhancing surgical capabilities, the da Vinci High Definition Robotic System is helping to improve clinical outcomes and redefine standards of care. Patients may experience the following benefits:

• Reduced trauma to the body
• Reduced blood loss and need for transfusions
• Less post-operative pain and discomfort
• Less risk of infection
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster recovery and return to normal daily activities
• Less scarring

Memorial Offering Robotic Assisted Surgeries for Heart, Lung, Kidney,

 Gynecology and Prostate Procedures

Over the course of a month, Inez Cahill began experiencing shortness of breath while walking around the track. She mentioned the symptoms to her physician. After running a series of tests, a mass was detected on her right lung. At 81 years young, Mrs. Cahill made the decision to have her first surgery using the da Vinci High Definition Robotic Surgical System at Memorial Health System of East Texas.

“The robotic assisted right upper lobectomy created quite a buzz in the surgery suite. After all Mrs. Cahill was the first patient to undergo this type of procedure in an East Texas hospital,” said Dr. Taylor Pickett, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon. According to Dr. Pickett, this minimally invasive surgery results in less bleeding, less pain and a quicker recovery. “Traditional lobectomies call for very large incisions. However, with robotic assisted surgeries, the incision is only 8-12 millimeters in size,” said Dr. Pickett.

“I am doing great! I was even able to walk the survivor lap at Relay for Life,” said Ms. Cahill. “If you are going to have surgery, this is the method to use.” I experienced little pain and in less than two weeks, I began cooking, making the bed and sweeping the floor.”  Read the press release.

Landmark Surgical Case Performed at Memorial Hospital

It is being called a breakthrough approach to hysterectomies. Advanced technology that is being used at Memorial Health System of East Texas is setting a new standard in this type of gynecological procedure. Utilizing the da Vinci High Definition Robot, surgeons now are performing hysterectomies with fewer complications and a quicker recovery time for the patient.

Lufkin Gynecologist and Obstetrical Surgeon, Dr. Jerry Johnson, is the first in his field locally to offer a hysterectomy using the robotic system. On Wednesday, Dr. Johnson successfully performed two hysterectomies at Memorial Health System of East Texas.

“I am extremely pleased and excited about using the Robotic System for hysterectomies,” said Dr. Jerry Johnson. “The procedure is significantly easier for the patient. The two women who elected to use the Robotic System for their hysterectomies on Wednesday experienced a very minimal hospital stay, considerably less pain and very little pain medication. Additionally, they should be able to return to performing many normal activities within a week.”

Surgeons perform 600,000 hysterectomies each year in the United States alone. 65% of those performed are total abdominal hysterectomies, 10% are laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomies (LAVH) and 25% are vaginal hysterectomies. Despite general preference for minimally invasive procedures, the majority of these surgeries are still performed using large incisions. Read more about it.