According to Channel-47 in Jacksonville, a medical breakthrough at a local hospital is making it safer and easier for overweight patients to go through surgery. The doctors report they are getting help with some new robotic assistance.
Ilyssa Trussel reports how going under the knife for open bariatric surgery can be frightening and sometimes risky. Imagine a procedure with fewer complications, less recovery time, and less pain. Now it’s possible at one local hospital all thanks to a robotic surgeon.
Many people are getting help in the battle against weight loss with the aid of the Da Vinci robot.
Lying on an operating table for open bariatric surgery at many hospitals is a complex, invasive procedure. At Memorial Hospital the weight loss surgery is now done robotically.
Patient Donna Stella says,
“I have felt wonderful since the surgery.”
Donna had surgery in January and has lost 71 pounds. Her husband Paul is having the bypass done today. Donna continues,
“I can’t explain how good I feel. I wish I had done this sooner. I’m already down into sizes that I was wearing in high school many, many years ago. I can’t wait for my husband to have the same kind of success.”
The da Vinci Arms Can Reach Places That Human Hands Can’t
Using surgical instruments, the da Vinci Robot arms can reach places that human hands can’t. Dr. Steven Webb may look as if he is playing a video game, but this is anything but play. He controls the robot from a console looking into a 3D high definition screen. According to Dr. Webb,
“The robot allows for very fine motor movement, very precise, there’s no trimmer. It allows us to get in at very small angles and we can see things very well.”
Less Invasive, Less Risky
According to Ilyssa Trussel, it is a less invasive and less risky surgery that gets patients like Donna and Paul home sooner, with results they can be proud of.
“If you’ve been struggling with weight your entire life like I have, this is a tool to help you get your life back,” says Donna.
The da Vinci Robot isn’t just used for bariatric surgery; it can also be used for a hysterectomies, prostate cancer, and cardiac procedures.
South Miami Hospital Joins in Fight against Obesity with da Vinci Robot
If you are severely obese and diets aren’t offering a solution, weight loss surgery may be an option. Consider the gold standard for bariatric surgery, gastric bypass. It reduces the size of the stomach and reroutes the digestive system.
To achieve better results for their weight loss patients, surgeons Jorge Rabaza and Anthony Gonzales from South Miami Hospital use robot assisted techniques. According to Jorge Rabaza, M.D.,
“The robotic aspect of it is it’s a laparoscopic procedure, but what it allows is to do more fine movements which we usually do not have with the laparoscope. So the robotic allows us to do more precise operative procedures, almost like you’re operating with your hands and also the visualization of 3D is superior to what we see with laparoscopic surgery.”
“What patients should know about weight loss surgery is that it’s not an easy undertaking,” says Dr. Anthony Gonzales. “They have to be willing to change their life, commit themselves to long term follow-up, and that they really should not make this decision lightly.”