Memorial Health celebrates 5,000 procedures with da Vinci Robotic System | News, Sports, Jobs
Memorial Health System is celebrating 5,000 procedures with the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. From left, Memorial Health System Surgical team members: Dr. Rajendra Bhati, MD, surgical oncologist; Sasha Myers, robotic surgical coordinator; Jody Bullman, vice president of Surgical & Cardiac Services; Dr. Tuan Nguyen, MD, general surgeon; Dr. Carson Wong, MD, urologist. (Photo Provided)
The Memorial Health System has performed the 5,000th procedure with the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System allowing for minimally invasive procedures, better outcomes and quicker recovery times for those in need of surgery, the hospital system said on Wednesday.
The system was implemented in 2014.
Robotic surgery has revolutionized the way every surgical provider practices in the health system. The implementation of the da Vinci system is now across all disciplines of the health system, including oncology, general surgery, OBGYN and urology, among others.
“It’s a superior platform in terms of ergonomics, optics, as well as accessibility to treat certain areas of the body,” surgical oncologist Rajendra Bhati, MD, said. “That translates to minimal trauma, which then translates into better outcomes.”
It was the vision of MHS provider, Dr. Srini Vasan to bring the next frontier of surgery to the health system, while also challenging its providers to adopt the da Vinci surgical system.
Vasan, a radiation oncologist, believed in this innovation so much he invested $1 million to spearhead the purchase of the robot for the future of elevated care in the region.
Since using the da Vinci, MHS is among the top centers in the entire country to implement robotic surgery for acute cases, with the great strides of dedication from general surgeon Tuan Nguyen, MD.
“It’s been a team effort. No single individual achieves a milestone by themselves,” Bhati said about all the providers and team members who have contributed to the success of the da Vinci.
Sasha Myers, robotic surgical coordinator, has been involved in the implementation of the da Vinci since its arrival nine years ago.
“It’s been a great nine years. Honestly, it’s been fun onboarding everyone and I have a great team,” Sasha said. “I wouldn’t have believed anyone if they told me I’d be doing this nine years ago; but here we are, 5,000 cases later.”
Implementing the da Vinci to nearly all service lines within the health system has been remarkable, the health system said. Team members have taken to the challenge of advancing their own talents and capabilities to provide our patients with world-class care.
“It’s important to take a moment, pause, and celebrate milestones. Too often we go about life just moving onto the next thing. Celebrating milestones and measuring your accomplishments is the key to really understanding what this is about,” Bhati said.
Any milestone reached is big, Sasha said.
“I followed a lot of robotic groups and watched them reach 100 or even 500 surgeries. For us to reach 5,000 in only nine years… it’s a goal that we must strive for,” Sasha said. “I think our next goal is probably to see how far each individual surgeon is and allow them to celebrate that because it is a big deal for them as well.”
To learn more about the da Vinci robotic surgical system and Memorial Health System Department of Surgery, visit mhsystem.org/Surgery.
