HERMISTON, Ore. - The Good Shepherd Medical Center has purchased a $1.7 million da Vinci robotics-assisted surgery system, the first such system available at hospitals in the mid-Columbia region.
"Investing in the da Vinci® system allows Good Shepherd to continue meeting standard of care criteria for surgical procedures, and are in keeping with our progressive and forwarding-looking mindset when it comes to patient care," said Steve Eldrige, chair of Good Shepherd's Board of Trustees.
The robotic system allows for the insertion of up to three independent surgical instruments along with a camera to perform minimally-invasive surgery.
Unlike current laparoscopic surgery, the device is "wristed," meaning that the three hands on it can bend and twist in a way human surgeons cannot.
The surgeon operates the system through a true 3-D viewfinder, with separate optics available for each eye. This allows for even microscopic-level work to be performed with extreme precision. The instruments cannot operate independently; all motions are in response to the surgeon's movements.
It does small incisions, band-aid style, which means less pain and blood loss for the patient, and a faster recovery time as well.
Currently, one OBGYN surgeon, Dr. Gamal Saleh is certified to use it. The medical center is having a three day classroom training session in California, followed by hands on training on animals. They hope to have two operating with it fairly soon, and eight surgeons within the next three years.
