November 20, 2008 02:03 pm
—
By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer
Patients will no longer have to
travel long distances to get the
most innovative treatments available
for prostate cancer and other
procedures.
Bassett Hospital’s surgical team
is now offering robot-assisted surgery
through its da Vinci Surgical
System, which recently made its
debut with the successful removal
of a man’s prostate gland.
Like laparoscopic surgery, the
da Vinci system requires only small
incisions to be made, compared to
the large incisions of the past.
Steven Heneghan, chief of surgery
at Bassett Healthcare, said
the benefits of this type of surgery
to patients are enormous.
``Patients want the least-invasive
surgical treatment option
available, and now they won’t have
to travel to Albany or Syracuse to
get it,’’ he said.
Dr. Carlos Bermejo, an urologist
and surgeon who is trained in using
the da Vinci system joined Bassett
Healthcare three months ago.
He performed the first prostate
cancer operation at Bassett using
the technology.
Robotic technology, as it’s used
in prostate surgery, gives the patient
their best chance at preserving
potency and continence, said
Bermejo. Other advantages of this
technology include it being a less
invasive procedure, with a resultant
shorter hospital stay, less pain
and scarring, less blood loss and a
quicker return to daily activities,
he said.
In addition to prostatectomies,
surgeons at Bassett will be using
robotic-assisted surgery in the
treatment of other cancers including
head, neck and rectal. There
will also be some general surgical
applications— soon to follow will
be heart related procedures such
as valve repair, coronary bypass
and arrhythmia surgery.
``We look forward to expanding
the number of specialties using
this computer-assisted system in
the coming months,’’ said
Heneghan.
Heneghan said some
people may have concerns
when knowing a machine is
involved with the surgery.
However, he said the word
``robot’’ is a misnomer because
there are no independent
motions initiated by
the instrument. All the motions
are translations of the
surgeon’s movements, he
said.
``It’s like breaking in a
new car,’’ said Heneghan.
The system’s robotic
arms are equipped with a
camera and surgical instruments
that are controlled
by a surgeon using a console
at a separate station.
The system was initially
designed for heart surgery,
but according to Bermejo,
surgeons started favoring it
for prostatectomies and gynecological
procedures,
such as hysterectomies.
Unlike open surgery or
more traditional laparoscopic
surgery, the system
eliminates hand tremors,
Bermejo said.
``The results are very encouraging,
to the point
where a lot of surgeons in
the country are changing to
this new technology,’’ Bermejo
said.
Doctor’s hands do not directly
touch the instruments
unlike conventional
surgery. Rather, the surgeon’s
hands are at the controls
of a computerized robotic
platform, which allows
the manipulation of surgical
instruments. Each time
one of the controls is moved,
a computer sends an electronic
signal to one of the
instruments, which moves
in sync with the movements
of the surgeon’s hands.
The system is portable
so that it can be utilized in
different operating rooms if
needed.
The public will have a
chance to view the technology
and “test drive” the da
Vinci system at Sangertown
Square Mall in New
Hartford at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The da Vinci robot display
will be in the Macy’s
wing.
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