Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital is enhancing the experience of surgery through the use of a new surgical robot that minimizes risks and complications, as well as rates of conversion to open surgery, maximizing patient safety and quality of care.
The hospital's new da Vinci® Si Surgical System is a third generation robot that offers technological advancements, including unparalleled precision, dexterity and control that enables physicians to take a minimally invasive approach for many complex surgical procedures, such as removal of the uterus, uterine fibroids and the prostate gland.
These new advancements benefit patients by enabling smaller incisions and less blood loss, thus reducing the patient's length of stay and recovery time.
"The da Vinci enables our patients to have a faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, and less pain after surgery," said Scott Barbe, CEO of Memorial Hermann Katy. "We want to offer our community the most advanced care close to home, and the new da Vinci allows us to do so."
The da Vinci Si builds upon the core technology of the existing da Vinci Systems, which gives surgeons more capabilities than ever before, making surgery less complicated and more precise. These advancements include 3D HD visualization with 10x magnification, offering surgeons a superior view of the operative field; EndoWrist® instrumentation, providing da Vinci surgeons with larger range of motion; and Intuitive® motion technology, which replicates the operative experience by preserving natural eye-hand-instrument alignment and intuitive instrument control.
"The robot enables me to offer my patients a better operation and improved clinical outcomes with reduced blood loss and shorter operating times," said Sarah Andrews, MD, a gynecologist/obstetrician affiliated with Memorial Hermann Katy and the first physician to use the robot.
The hospital is the first in Katy to acquire the da Vinci Skills Simulator.
"The simulation technology is an advantage because it allows surgeons to further refine their surgical skills in a non-clinical environment," said David Kent, MD, a urological surgeon affiliated with the hospital. "This basically means that new surgeons can practice their skills in a virtual environment, not on their patient."