By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
One hundred surgeries. One hundred opportunities for patients to receive advanced surgical care without leaving Del Rio.
Val Verde Regional Medical Center board members, physicians and hospital staff gathered Wednesday, Oct. 28, to celebrate the completion of 100 procedures using the hospital’s da Vinci 5 robotic-assisted surgical system.
While the milestone represents a significant achievement for the hospital, the real success can be measured in smaller incisions, less invasive procedures and patients who can often recover in the comfort of their own homes rather than spending additional time in a hospital bed.
The robotic-assisted system allows surgeons to perform complex operations through small incisions while maintaining precise control of the surgical instruments.
The hospital announced the arrival of its da Vinci 5 surgical system May 26, and Dr. Ashley Lopez, an obstetrician-gynecologist, performed her first robotic-assisted surgery at VVRMC on June 2, making Wednesday’s milestone an achievement reached in less than five months.
The VVRMC CEO Jorge Jurado told those attending the celebration that the milestone represents something particularly important for residents of Val Verde County.
“What makes this achievement so meaningful is what it represents for our community,” Jurado said. “Our patients can access advanced robotic surgery right here at home without having to travel outside the area for services.”
Dr. Wyn Nguyen, a general surgeon who is also board-certified in colorectal surgery, was credited during the celebration with performing the hospital’s 100th robotic-assisted surgery.
Nguyen said the technology has allowed him to complete procedures that would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, using conventional laparoscopic techniques.
He recalled two particularly complicated cases in which patients underwent lengthy operations but were still able to return home the same day.
Lopez emphasized that the technology not only improves the hospital’s surgical capabilities but also positions VVRMC to recruit additional specialists, including urologists, who increasingly expect robotic-assisted equipment to be available.
Several VVRMC surgeons at the event agreed that the da Vinci system is vital to recruiting more physicians to Del Rio.
“New doctors coming out of medical school won’t even look at you if you don’t have a robot,” said Nguyen.
Jurado credited the hospital’s board of directors for making the substantial financial investment necessary to bring the technology to Del Rio.
He also singled out Dr. Mark G. Manning, a general surgeon and the hospital’s chief medical officer, for helping turn the idea into reality.
Jurado recalled Manning coming into his office and telling him, “This isn’t a want anymore. It’s a need. We have to get this done.”
Another key player behind the acquisition, and the 100 surgeries, was Dr. Antonio Castañeda, a board-certified bariatric and general surgeon, who was instrumental in bringing robotic-assisted surgery to Val Verde Regional Medical Center, Jurado said.
Castañeda helped shape the vision for the program and played a key role in turning that vision into reality. He performed the hospital’s very first robotic-assisted surgical procedure, helping launch the program alongside Dr. Ashley Lopez. His early belief that advanced robotic surgery could be successfully established in Del Rio laid the foundation for what has now become a significant milestone for the hospital and the community it serves, Jurado said.
The hospital’s commitment to expanding its capabilities is about more than keeping up with medical technology, Jurado said.
“I think that this is just the beginning of innovation,” Jurado said, adding that continued improvements will allow the hospital to increase access to services previously unavailable locally.
Val Verde County Hospital District Board Chair Robin Palmer reflected on how much the hospital has changed since she attended Eastside Elementary School across Bedell Avenue and walked to the hospital for tuberculosis testing.
“That hospital was so small, and we didn’t have any of this,” Palmer recalled. “And look where we’re at now. Look where we’re at now.”
