Mercy Heart & Vascular Institute has invested in the daVinci® Si HD Surgical System, allowing its surgeons to use minimally invasive, robotic-assisted technology for some heart valve repairs and other selected surgical procedures. The Mercy daVinci® cardiac team is among the first graduates of the International College of Robotic Surgery (ICRS), undergoing a yearlong fellowship sponsored by St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta.
Using the daVinci® Si HD Surgical System, surgeons have remarkable access and visualization. For patients, the technology can provide quicker and easier recoveries.
How does it work? Any kind of surgery poses certain risks to the patient, but traditional open surgical procedures for certain cardiac conditions have specific drawbacks including long incisions leaving an 8-10" scar down the center of the chest, rib-spreading to access the chest cavity with associated pain and trauma, increased risk of infection and a long recovery period delaying your return to normal daily activities.
Today, less invasive surgical options are available, including laparoscopic and now, robotic-assisted surgery utilizing the daVinci® Surgical System. With laparoscopic procedures, your surgeon uses small incisions to insert long-shafted instruments to operate on the targeted organ or tissue. Laparoscopy is effective for many routine procedures, but has limits when the procedure, patient's anatomy or condition is particularly challenging or complex.
With the daVinci® Surgical System, our cardiac surgeons can perform technologically advanced mitral valve prolapse procedures - a safe, effective and minimally invasive alternative to traditional treatment options.
Using this latest technology, your surgeon is able to perform delicate and complex operations through a few tiny incisions with increased vision, precision, dexterity and control.
What are the benefits? The daVinci® system offers many benefits to both patients and surgeons.
For patients, using the daVinci® system can mean:
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Shorter recovery (patients who undergo the traditional open method face a 2-3 month recovery time, whereas daVinci® patients are typically back to normal activities within a few week)
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Reduced risk of infection
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Less blood loss
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Shorter hospital stay
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Less pain
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Less scarring
For physicians, the system provides:
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Improved precision with the surgical instruments
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3-D, high definition visuals of the heart
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Ability to see and work within areas of the heart previously difficult to reach
Currently, Mercy surgeons are using the daVinci® system for mitral valve repairs. Talk to your doctor to see if your valve repair can be done using the daVinci system. |
