A
surgical team at Grinnell Regional Medical Center performed their first da
Vinci® Single-Site™ Cholecystectomy on Thursday, May 16. The
patient’s gallbladder was removed through one tiny incision in the belly
button, making the procedure virtually scarless. In February, Surgical
Associates surgeons and GRMC were the first in the state of Iowa to complete a
Whipple surgery and the first to complete a gastric sleeve surgery using the
daVinci.
Led by
Nicholas Kuiper, DO, general surgeon with Surgical Associates, the surgical team
at GRMC removed the gallbladder using Single-Site™ instruments on a da Vinci®
System. The minimally invasive procedure is traditionally called a laparoscopic
cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder). Using robotic assistance,
surgeons removed the gallbladder through an incision of 2.5
cm (approximately one inch).
The Food
and Drug Administration cleared the specialized Single-Site instruments for use
with the da Vinci System in December 2011. da Vinci is a robotic surgical
system widely used in complex minimally invasive surgery.
“Neither
robotic surgery nor single-incision surgery is new, but combining the two to
remove the gallbladder requires additional training and special equipment,”
says Kuiper. “To be one of the first
hospitals to offer this technically advanced surgery demonstrates GRMC’s leadership
in providing patients with the most up-to-date minimally invasive surgical
options. Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines just completed their first
procedure a week ago as well.”
Kuiper
is one of a small group of surgeons in the country who has received training to
perform the surgery.
“Single-Site instruments used with the da Vinci
platform are the next step in the evolution of surgical technologies,” Kuiper says. “We are truly
excited to be a leader today in the surgical treatment of tomorrow.”
Potential
benefits of Single-Site gallbladder surgery may include virtually scarless
results, minimal pain, low blood loss, fast recovery, a short hospital stay and
high patient satisfaction. The surgery can be performed in less than one hour
with a typical hospital stay of less than 24 hours.
During
the procedure, the surgeon sits comfortably at a console, viewing a 3D,
high-definition image of the patient’s anatomy. The surgeon uses controls below
the viewer to move the instrument arms and camera. In real-time, the system translates the
surgeon's hand, wrist, and finger movements into more precise movements of the
miniaturized instruments inside the patient.
Unlike
traditional laparoscopic surgeries requiring three to five small incisions,
this new technology allows for a single incision in the belly button where
instruments are placed and the diseased gallbladder is removed.
Most
people who require gallbladder removal are candidates for the robotic,
single-incision surgery. According to the American College of Surgeons, surgery
is the recommended treatment for gallbladder pain from gallstones and
non-functioning gallbladders.
More
than one million people in the U.S. have their gallbladder removed each year.
Most are performed with traditional laparoscopy using several incisions.
GRMC
offers various types of robotic-assisted surgeries. In addition to gallbladder
removal, GRMC surgeons perform robotic-assisted surgery in general surgery,
gynecological surgeries, and urologic surgeries. GRMC also offers a wide range
of minimally invasive conventional laparoscopic surgeries.
For
information on robotic and other minimally invasive surgeries at GRMC, call Surgical
Associates at 641-236-4323 or visit www.grmc.us.
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