Medical Marvel
New Da Vinci 5 Robotic Surgery System Improves
Patient Outcomes
By Amy Morgan
Technology keeps advancing in amazing ways. Not only have we sent a person to the moon, now we’re landing rocket return flights! The medical field is equally innovative – new equipment is allowing physicians to perform procedures that once would only have been imagined.
One such innovation is the Da Vinci 5 (DV5) robotic surgery system now being used by surgeons at Baptist Health System. This advanced and integrated system supports various specialties, including urology, gynecology, general surgery, and thoracic, and offers new features to help surgeons perform minimally invasive surgeries with enhanced precision and control.
Baptist Health System unveiled the DV5 this summer at North Central Baptist in Stone Oak. Brian Szender, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., M.P.H., is a gynecologic oncologist with 15 years experience treating women with reproductive tract cancers of the cervix or uterus. Dr. Szender has completed almost 40 procedures using the DV5 in just a few months.
“It is the next evolution in the way we can do robotic, endoscopic surgery for patients,” he said. “The electronics and computational power are a huge step forward, not just now but in the future.”
The DV5 transforms surgery for the surgeons, care team and patients, he added. “It makes the process of starting the case more efficient and wounds more organized. Because it collects data, it helps surgeons unlock new answers. This new approach, with the magnification, stability, ergonomics, dexterity and precision are key for us to be able to provide the highest quality, minimally invasive surgery for
our patients.”
Previously, surgeries like a hysterectomy would require a physician to open the entire abdominal cavity to view and work on the target area. The Da Vinci 5 lets a surgeon like Dr. Szender guide robotic arm tools into the body through small incisions – many barely longer than an inch. The cameras on the arms allow him to see the path on the monitor screen. Using the DV5 allows Dr. Szender to complete an operation in a much less invasive way, reducing the risk of complications like blood clot or infection and promoting more rapid healing.
“I tell my patients, ‘This is not your mom’s hysterectomy,’” Dr. Szender said. “It’s an outpatient procedure — patients can go home in just a few hours and be in their own bed instead of in a hospital. Our goal is for our patients to be back to normal functioning as soon as possible.”
The Da Vinci 5 offers several new features including a highly integrated system, so surgeons can do more with less equipment. The surgeon manipulates the instruments from a console, translating hand movements into precise actions by the robotic arms. The flexible arms include a wide range of motion to permit more precise and delicate movements.
The ergonomic console includes a comfortable viewing hood that allows for natural movements and reduces human fatigue. “We can control so many things from the surgeon console,” Dr. Szender said. “It’s an immersive experience. I have the ability to move the headset to exactly where I want it to be in a variety of different positions, which makes surgery more comfortable.”
3D high-definition imaging provides surgeons with a clear, magnified view of the surgical area, making it easier to see small details. The system’s high-resolution screen enhances precision, allowing the surgeon to perform complex tasks such as cutting, suturing and dissecting with improved dexterity and control. Real-time fluorescence imaging allows doctors to map blood flow even through tiny capillaries and avoid other organs or vessels.
The Da Vinci 5 also incorporates “forced feedback” to help surgeons feel the tugging on the tissue as they move instruments, helping them keep incisions small and reduce bleeding, as well as alleviating extraneous motion from a surgeon’s hand.
“Haptic feedback is one of the things we have been asking for since we started training on the original platform,” Dr. Szender said. “It’s the natural feel of operating with our hands. The real-time, tactile feedback helps us put less strain on the tissue, which leads to less pain and faster patient recovery.”
Another benefit Dr. Szender appreciates as an oncologist – because his patients recover more quickly, they are able to continue their systemic cancer treatment schedule without long interruption.
“As an oncologist covering the entire spectrum of treatment for the patient, I am able to manage the details of the cancer to time treatment for optimal outcome,” he said. Before he was able to perform surgery with the DV5, a patient might not be ready to resume treatment for a month or more. Now, Dr. Szender can bring his cancer patients back to the clinic to re-start chemotherapy within two weeks.
“I am a huge fan of being able to use this
technology to take care of my patients and exceed their expectations,” Dr. Szender said. “When they come back to clinic, I often hear, ‘I don’t know what I was expecting – my friends can’t even believe I had surgery.’”
