“We have pioneered the use of da Vinci® to treat TOS,” Dr. Martinez said. “These physicians already had exposure to da Vinci® and wanted to study first-hand its application in treating TOS. This is a specific example of a case in which we have led the way in embracing technology to make treatment safer and more comfortable for patients.”

Dr. Martinez is the only physician in the world currently using da Vinci® to treat TOS, which actually is a group of disorders affecting the nerves in the brachial plexus (the nerves passing into the arms from the neck), and various nerves and blood vessels between the base of the neck and the axilla (armpit). Symptoms can include one of more of the following: swelling, bluish discoloration of the hand, feeling of heaviness in arm/hand, deep pain in the neck/shoulder, easily fatigued arms/hands, muscle weakness and atrophy, muscle cramping, difficulty performing fine motor tasks of the hand, pain in the arm/hand and tingling and numbness in the neck, shoulder, arm and hand.

“Traditional surgical interventions require incisions of two to three inches,” Dr. Martinez said. “Using da Vinci®, I make two to three very small incisions, and once I am inside, and once I am inside, I transpose my surgical skills into remote surgery. Everything I see is magnified, and I have much better visual control. Patients generally have significantly less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays, quicker recovery times, reduced chances of infection and quicker return to work and/or other regular activities.”

Dr. Martinez points out that as surgeons age, they gain dexterity and experience, but vision declines as a natural part of the aging process, so da Vinci’s® ability to magnify and enhance the surgical field of vision is a tremendous benefit.

Dr. Martinez has performed 70 surgeries with da Vinci® since St. Vincent acquired the new technology in March 2003. St. Vincent is one of about 500 hospitals worldwide, one of 400 nationwide and the third in Ohio to utilize this technology.

Not only has Dr. Martinez pioneered the use of da Vinci® to treat TOS, he also is the only physician in the United States approved by the Food and Drug Administration to use da Vinci® for aorta replacement.

St. V’s just might be at the forefront of medical education too. “Continuing education for surgeons today is very expensive,” Dr. Martinez said. “This is one way to pursue education that not many people know about. I did this several times in the past – went and studied with other doctors. It is very important to see these things in action. You don’t get the same depth of experience from attending a conference or reading a journal article. Surprisingly, this method of education is not very well known or often pursued. I hope that we will see more of this in the future.”

The Czechoslovakian doctors who studied with Dr. Martinez this spring were Petr Stadler, MD; Petr Vitasek, MD; and Pavel Matous, MD. They spent a week with Dr. Martinez and were able to observe three da Vinci surgeries in TOS patients.

“They are a great team of doctors, and I hope we will continue to correspond,” Dr. Martinez said. “I would enjoy the benefit of observing their progress. There is another group of doctors from Kansas City that has expressed interest in my work as well, and I would love to host them for training too. My hope is that this type of exposure will help me to recruit a team of my own, so that others will join me in using da Vinci® to treat TOS and explore further possible uses of this wonderful technology.”

Dr. Martinez said he appreciates the risk St. V’s took in purchasing da Vinci®.

“Some in the medical field have been reluctant to accept da Vinci®, but we received tremendous support from Steve Mickus (MHP president and CEO) and Jeff Peterson (St. V’s president and CEO) in bringing this new technology here. I was grateful for their trust in my professional experience, skills and judgment. Fortunately, they are smart businessmen who were able to see that our initial investment, though substantial, would pay off, and it is doing just that, to the benefit of our hospital, and, most importantly, our patients.”