The da Vinci® Surgical Robotic System is a multi-specialty minimally invasive robot that provides the surgeon with control, range of motion, and 3-D visualization characteristic of open surgery, while simultaneously allowing the surgeon to work through small ports for minimally invasive surgery.

With the da Vinci® System, surgeons are seated at a console 10 feet away from the patient. Using a three-dimensional computer system, surgeons operate on the patient using robotic arms, in which they control and manipulate. The arms hold special surgical instruments and can translate the natural hand and wrist activity into precise, scaled movements, which provide the surgeon with greater control and range of motion.

“Our decision to invest in this new advanced technology is an investment in our patients while also furthering our Mission of providing the highest quality care to all who come to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center,” said Jeffery Peterson, executive vice president and chief operating officer.

The benefits to the patient include reduce pain and trauma to the body as a result of smaller incisions, shorter hospital stay, faster recovery and return to work, and decrease chances of infection.

“The da Vinci® is a multi-specialty robot. Surgeons can perform procedures in a variety of areas including vascular, urology, pediatrics and cardiac,” Peterson said.

Dr. Bernardo Martinez, chief medical director of the Minimally Invasive Vascular Surgery Center at St. Vincent, said robotic surgery allows surgeons to be more precise while advancing their technique and enhancing their capability to perform complex minimally invasive surgery.

“The da Vinci robotic technology allows us to perform certain surgical procedures with greater precision. It’s changing the way surgery is done,” he said.

The da Vinci® Surgical System was developed by Intuitive Surgical and is the first totally "intuitive" laparoscopic surgical robot in existence. The da Vinci® system was the first operative surgical robotic system in the world cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).