Brookings Health Upgrades to Latest Robotic Surgical Technology
Last week Brookings Health System’s operating room team performed the first robotic-assisted surgery using the newly acquired da Vinci Xi surgical system.
“The da Vinci Xi system is the most advanced robotic-assisted surgical platform currently available,” said Director of Surgical Services Terri Stauffacher, RN. “It gives our surgeons improved access to the internal anatomy and organs inside a patient’s abdomen. This helps for many surgical procedures, including general surgery such as gall bladder removal and hernia repair and gynecology surgery like hysterectomy and fibroid removal. The additional clinical benefits and operating room efficiency results in improved patient outcomes.”
In addition, the upgraded system allows Brookings Health to perform more procedures robotically, including:
Acid reflux surgery to prevent future acid reflux
Colon surgery to remove diseased portions of the colon
Gastrointestinal surgery to remove part of the stomach or intestines
Endometriosis surgery to remove patches of endometrial tissue growing outside of the uterus
As with all da Vinci surgical systems, the surgeon remains 100% in control throughout the surgical procedure. Key patient benefits of robotic-assisted da Vinci surgery include decreased pain, a quicker recovery, and minimal scarring. Patients also have less risk of infection, blood loss, and shorter hospital stays.
Brookings Health first invested in the da Vinci robotic platform in 2013, becoming the third hospital in South Dakota to actively offer robotic surgical technology. The health system further invested in robotic-assisted surgery in 2018 when it became the second facility in South Dakota to offer Mako robotic-arm assisted surgery for orthopedic procedures such as knee and hip replacement.
“Brookings Health System prides itself in being a leader for robotic technology integration in rural healthcare,” said President and CEO Jason Merkley. “The patients we serve in our region deserve close access to a world class surgical robotics program and we are delivering on that promise with our investment in the da Vinci Xi system.”
Brookings Health System offers a wide array of outpatient, inpatient and emergency surgical procedures in state-of-the-art surgical suites and procedure rooms. To learn more about Brookings Health System’s full line of surgical services, please visit brookingshealth.org/Surgery.
