Hospital welcomes robot to surgery

PALMER — The next time you go for surgery at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, your life may be in the hands of a knife-wielding robot.

While a robot performing surgery might seem like some sinister science fiction plot, the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System represents the height of medical technology today.

Mat-Su Regional officials an-nounced they are the proud owners of the machine that bears some resemblance to a giant, prodding insect.

The system, with its articulated arms and high-definition cameras, offers the capability for minimally invasive operations beyond any other method, hospital spokeswoman Kerry Aguirre said.

“You can get into lots of tighter and deeper places than you normally could,” she said.

To operate the machine, the surgeon sits at a monitor with the controls comfortably placed at his or her hands. The arms with the necessary cameras and operating tools enter the patient through tiny incisions. The working arms then perfectly mimic every movement of the surgeon’s hands.

“Because of the nature of the movement, the surgeon actually drives the operation,” Aguirre said.

This is an improvement over other minimally invasive techniques, namely laparoscopy, she said. With the laparoscopic technique, tools inserted through incisions were manually controlled by doctors and offered a limited range of motion. The da Vinci gives surgeons the control they would have with a open surgery, but through minimally invasive entry techniques.

“The da Vinci offers greater precision, control and access to hard-to-reach areas,” Aguirre said. “Extremely complex operations can be performed through just a few small incisions.”

This results in a better experience for the patient, she said. Surgeries performed with the da Vinci are less traumatic with less blood loss, less pain and less risk of infection. All of that results in patients returning to their lives faster.

“Take hysterectomies. Many women will end up having a hysterectomy, and that is a serious operation,” Aguirre said. “The da Vinci means a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery and minimal scarring. It is just a better experience, people are happier with the outcome. This means there will be less fear surrounding the surgery.”

In addition to hysterectomies, the da Vinci is best for urologic, gastric and general-type surgeries, Aguirre said.

And with all these benefits, Aguirre said, “In our (operating room) director’s words, there are no ‘da Vinci gone wild’ stories.”

The first operation for the da Vinci at Mat-Su Regional is scheduled for the middle of November.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.