da Vinci
The Next Generation of Surgical Technology


da Vinci at Doylestown Hospital:  First in Bucks County

As the first hospital in Bucks County to acquire the
da Vinci Surgical System^(r), Doylestown Hospital is expanding
the range of minimally invasive procedures offered to treat very
complex medical conditions.



Doylestown Hospital has a robot in the operating room, but you won't ever see it walking the halls. That's because this robot is embodied in a revolutionary new surgical system - the da Vinci^(r) surgical system - that enables specially trained surgeons to perform more precise and complex surgery than ever before, with minimal trauma to the patient.

"The robot-assisted da Vinci^(r) surgical system expands the sphere of minimally invasive surgery we can offer the community." Albert Ruenes, MD, Doylestown Hospital urologist.

The da Vinci system is an extension of the surgeon, enhancing their skills with its unique features.  "It has no 'intelligence' unless under the direct control of the surgeon," explains Doylestown Hospital urologist Joseph Izes, MD. But thanks to that precise control, Doylestown Hospital surgeons are significantly improving the surgical experience and even the outcomes of patients undergoing certain minimally invasive surgical procedures.

A cascade of benefits for patients
Minimally invasive surgery should not be confused with "minor" surgery. In fact, the first two types of surgery performed with the da Vinci system at Doylestown Hospital, heart valve surgery and prostatectomy (removal of the prostate gland), are highly complex surgeries requiring a surgeon's utmost skill and precision. These surgeries are considered minimally invasive when surgeons use the da Vinci system to reach the heart valve or prostate gland through incisions that are less than one-half inch long - much smaller than traditional open surgery requiring an incision that may be several inches long. And from that small incision flows a cascade of very important benefits to patients.

A smaller incision means less blood loss and a reduced likelihood of infection, both of which can translate into a shorter hospital stay. And since most post-operative pain results from trauma to the body created by the surgical incision, a much smaller incision usually means considerably less post-operative pain and a quicker recovery and return to normal activities. "Surgery with the da Vinci system is generally much less stressful for the patient," says Dr. Izes. "It broadens the pool of patients who could benefit from surgery, since patients with medical conditions that would prohibit traditional open surgery may be eligible for surgery with the da Vinci system."



The da Vinci^(r) Surgical System
The da Vinci^(r) surgical system consists of a console where the surgeon sits; a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms; a high-performance, high-definition, 3D vision system (video camera and monitor); and innovative instrumentation with unprecedented range of motion of almost 360°.

At the beginning of a procedure, the surgeon makes four or five very small incisions in the surgical area and inserts the tiny video camera through one of these incisions, and inserts instruments through the others. The camera and instruments are all attached to the robotic arms extending from a cart positioned next to the patient. The "robotic" concept derives from the fact that the surgeon sits at the console a few feet away from the patient and manipulates the arms that hold the surgical instruments and camera. The camera porvides a greatly enlarged three-dimensional view of the body's interior, which is displayed in on the monitor at the surgeon's console. The robotic arms "miniaturize" or scale down the motion of the instruments while the surgeon operates. For example, if the surgeon's hand moves one inch, the robotic hand moves a quarter-inch, enabling the surgeon to perform intricate movements with great dexterity and precision.

For additional information on minimally invasive surgery with the da Vinci^(r) Surgical System visit http://davincisurgery.com