Robots have gone from a future fantasy to today’s reality. We now have robots that can mimic pets, mow the lawn, vacuum—and with the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System—they can even help perform surgery.
Northridge Hospital Medical Center is the first facility in the San Fernando Valley and one of only 20 percent of hospitals in the U.S. to offer the da Vinci—the world’s first robotic surgical system with 3D HD vision. “It combines computer and robotic technologies to help physicians perform a wide range of major surgeries through a few tiny incisions,” explains Mike Wall, President, Northridge Hospital.
Here’s how it works: From a seated position, the surgeon views trueto- life 3D images through the Vision System. It magnifies and refines the surgical site allowing the surgeon 15 times the magnification of the human eye.
Then, using the EndoWrist instruments, the surgeon gains seven degrees of motion that go beyond the limits of the human hand. These devices improve access to and manipulation of organs, tissues and nerves and enable surgeons to perform procedures through 1-2 centimeter incisions.
“Northridge Hospital physicians ‘test drove’ the da Vinci last year, and rallied to make it available to their patients,” continues Mr. Wall. That’s because it allows for major surgeries to be “downgraded” to minimally invasive procedures. In fact, the da Vinci provides robot-assisted laparoscopic, thoracoscopic and endoscopic procedures, which include but are not limited to the fields of urology, gynecology, oncology, pediatrics, and cardiac surgery.
The da Vinci has many advantages to patients including:
- shorter hospitalization
- lower risk of infection
- quicker return to daily activities reduced pain
- faster recovery time
- less blood loss
- minimal scarring
