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Politics & Government

Hospital Offers Latest Robotic Surgery

Northside Hospital-Cherokee, which implemented its Advanced Robotic Surgery Program in 2007, announces that it has upgraded its existing da Vinci Surgical Systems.

A recognized leader in robotic surgery, Northside Hospital is pleased to announce that it has upgraded its existing da Vinci Surgical Systems at  and to the very latest Si model. 

For decades, laparoscopic surgery has offered patients a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open surgery. Robotic surgery has given surgeons even better tools to perform the most intricate of minimally invasive procedures and achieve better outcomes for their patients in a growing range of specialties.  Patients benefit from smaller incisions, less pain and scarring, reduced blood loss and need for transfusions, shorter hospital stays, quicker recoveries and reduced risk of infection.

Northside Hospital-Atlanta was one of the first hospitals in Atlanta to obtain robotic technology, when it implemented its Advanced Robotic Surgery Program in 2005. Northside Hospital-Cherokee followed in 2007, with Northside Hospital-Forsyth in 2008. With earlier versions of the robot, Northside hosted the first successful delivery of healthy twins following a myomectomy in the United States, as well as Georgia’s first bladder removal, pyeloplasty (kidney reconstruction) and radical hysterectomy – all robotically. Most recently, Northside hosted the state’s first Single-Site (single incision) robotic surgery.  New advances in surgical technology allow Northside to stay at the forefront of the medical field.

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To date, nearly 50 surgeons on Northside’s staff have performed more than 6,140 robotic surgery procedures, more than any other hospital in the Southeast.

In 2009, Northside Hospital-Atlanta purchased its first Si system and was the first hospital in the Southeast to use the technology, which is designed to provide additional clinical benefits to patients and operational efficiencies within the operating room (OR), many of which translate to patient benefits.

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Features of the Si that Northside is using include:

  • Enhanced 3D HD vision of operative field, with plasma screens and up to 10x magnification
  • Fluorescence imaging (Atlanta and Cherokee)
  • Dual console, allowing for a second surgeon to assist
  • Superior visual clarity of tissue and anatomy
  • Greater dexterity and precision than was available with previous versions of the robot
  • Updated and simplified architecture, allowing for more space and efficiencies within the OR
  • New ergonomic settings to the surgeon console for greater surgeon comfort and control
  • Simulation module, which provides a new experience for surgeons planning to train in the use of da Vinci

"These features allow for an optimum minimally invasive surgical experience for the patient by maximizing the abilities of the surgeon," said Dr. Scott Miller, medical director of Northside Hospital's Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery Program. Miller is one of the nation’s leading urologic laparoscopists and was the first surgeon at Northside to perform a robotic procedure (a robotic-assisted prostatectomy) in 2005.

"This latest generation of robotic technology aids surgeons in performing much more complex and delicate cases," said Dr. Froylan Gonzalez, general surgeon, who performs robotic surgery at Northside Hospital-Cherokee. "Northside has taken initiative by placing this cutting-edge technology and software in each of its hospitals, putting Northside Hospital-Cherokee and Northside Hospital-Forsyth on the same playing field, if not exceeding, the capabilities of other larger institutions."

Northside also is the first hospital in Georgia to include fluorescence imaging technology with its new robotic systems in Atlanta and Cherokee. This feature enables surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery, using real time, endoscopic visible and near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The specially designed camera and endoscopes allow surgeons to capture images of tissue and surrounding blood vessels by injecting a unique fluorescent dye that is activated by near-infrared light. Benefits include helping surgeons to identify healthy versus unhealthy tissue during excision.

"This latest technology adds another level of confidence to ensure complete removal of cancerous tissue," Miller adds. 

"All of these enhancements allow Northside to continue to be the ‘leader’ in offering our patients and surgeons the very latest surgical technology in minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures," said Vicki Barnett, director of surgical services at Northside. "Adding single site techniques and fluorescence imaging helps more patients benefit from the advantages of robotic surgery."

Surgeons, in a wide range of specialties, are actively using robotic technology to perform procedures including gynecology, GYN oncology, urology, general surgery, ENT and thoracic specialties. Many of the surgeons on staff at Northside are pioneers in laparoscopic surgery and are nationally and internationally recognized for their expertise in minimally invasive techniques, like robotic surgery. Surgeons at Northside even train others from across the country on how to use this state-of-the-art technology. Combined with the skill and experience of the operating room nurses and surgical technologi sts, this level of expertise is critical in giving patients excellent outcomes after treatment and quicker recoveries following robotic surgery.

For more information about Northside Hospital’s Advanced Center for Robotic Surgery or for a free physician referral, visit www.northside.com.

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