02/09/2007
(Hartford, Conn.) Surgeons at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center are leading the way in minimally invasive surgery with the $1.4 million state-of-the-art da Vinci S�� Surgical System.
Recently, doctors at Saint Francis performed two hysterectomies using the da Vinci S�� Surgical System, the first robotic� surgeries of this kind performed in the Greater Hartford region. Seven more are scheduled this month.
According to the National Womens Health Information Center, a hysterectomy is the second most common surgery among women in the U.S. Each year, more than 600,000 hysterectomies are performed. Previously, surgeons had to make a large abdominal incision to conduct the operation. Now, thanks to the latest robotic technology, surgeons at Saint Francis can make smaller, less invasive incisions.
To perform minimally invasive surgery using da Vinci, surgeons utilize robotic arms and a camera. Through high-tech video imaging, surgeons are given a three-dimensional view of the bodys interior. Tiny instruments attached to robotic arms are controlled by the surgeon who is positioned behind a console. Human hands are actually guiding robotic hands. The robotic instruments replicate a surgeons every move with complete and total stability,� said Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, Chairman of Surgery at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. In the end, a patient can experience less pain, less bleeding and a quicker recovery time. The rationale for this technology: It is the most precise surgery humanly possible,� added Steinberg.
We are excited to be at the forefront in using this cutting-edge technology to its fullest and greatest potential. Acquiring the da Vinci S�� Surgical System, is affirmation of our continued high standards of excellence in care that we provide to all of our patients,� said Christopher Dadlez, President and CEO of Saint Francis.
Intuitive Surgical, based in Sunnyvale California, introduced the da Vinci S Surgical System in early 2006.
Founded in 1897, Saint Francis is a major teaching hospital licensed for 617 acute inpatient beds and 65 bassinets and is the largest Catholic hospital in New England.
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