At St. Vincent Healthcare, now part of Intermountain Health, state-of-the-art robotic technology has been in operating rooms for over a decade. With recent investments in technology and expertise in general surgery, minimally invasive robotic heart surgery, and biopsy and treatment of lung cancer, St. Vincent has seen exponential growth in robotic-assisted surgeries. It recently performed its 2,000th robotic-assisted operation, with more than 700 procedures performed in the last 12 months.
For patients, the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery include fewer complications, reduced blood loss, less pain, and shorter hospital stays. Because the robotic technology allows the surgeon to operate less invasively, patients heal faster, with lower risks of infection and less noticeable scarring.
With these advancements and growth, the St. Vincent team is pursuing accreditation through the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) to be Montana’s first Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery. This accreditation would recognize that St. Vincent provides patients with the highest quality of care as determined by an independent, external evaluation process from the SRC. By seeking the accreditation, St. Vincent will undergo an extensive self-assessment and site inspection. St. Vincent submitted its application for certification this spring and hopes to have an onsite inspection by the fall.
“The first robotic surgery system was approved by the FDA in 2000,” says Jackie Hines, St. Vincent Healthcare’s Senior Director of Surgical and Procedural Services. “While initially approved for general laparoscopic surgeries, robotic systems are now used for more than 70 different types of surgery in the U.S., many in urologic, colorectal, head and neck, cardiac, thoracic, spine and gynecological specialties.”
During these procedures, a specially trained surgeon controls the movement of camera-equipped robotic surgical equipment by using a console placed next to the operating table instead of physically performing the surgery with their hands.
From the surgeon’s point of view, robotic technology allows for enhanced precision, flexibility, and control; a better field of visualization; and greater ease when performing delicate and complex procedures than what is often possible with traditional open surgeries.
The decision whether or not to go with robotic-assisted surgery over a more traditional approach depends on the individual patient and the procedure required to treat their condition.
“[With the robotic technology], we have seen hospital stays reduced from seven days to two days for complex abdominal wall surgeries and very quick overall recoveries compared to open or laparoscopic approaches,” says Dr. Michael Wilcox, a general surgeon at St. Vincent Healthcare.
“The image-guided navigation system and robot we use for spine surgery allow for extremely precise placement of screws and other hardware to ensure the best possible outcome for our patients,” says Dr. Louis Ross, a St. Vincent Healthcare neurosurgeon.
To keep doctors up to date on the latest robotic-assisted systems, software, and service components, St. Vincent Healthcare has teamed up with its technology partners to create a robust, comprehensive training program.
“The robotic surgery program at St. Vincent is used as a part of surgical residencies and a standard of practice in several specialties,” Hines adds.
Looking ahead, Dr. Jeff Rentz, general surgeon, predicts that robotic surgical technology will continue to evolve and improve.
“At St. Vincent Healthcare, we are leading the region in robotic usage spanning multiple specialties including general surgery, gynecological, cardiac, thoracic, spine, and more. We look forward to continuing to lead this work into the future by growing our robotic surgery program into even more specialty areas,” Rentz says.
