By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
A new surgical robot at Val Verde Regional Medical Center is giving local doctors another tool to help patients heal faster and stay closer to home.
The hospital recently began using the da Vinci 5 Surgical System, a robotic-assisted device that allows surgeons to perform many procedures through small incisions.
VVRMC will host a public demonstration of the da Vinci 5 Surgical System from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 19 in the hospital’s lobby. Residents will be able to meet surgeons, see the robot up close and learn how the technology works.
Despite the name, the robot does not perform surgery on its own. Every movement is controlled by the surgeon.
“It’s basically an extension of the surgeon’s hands,” said Dr. Ashley Lopez, an OB-GYN specialist at VVRMC.
Lopez said the robot gives surgeons more freedom of movement than traditional laparoscopic surgery while allowing them to work through small incisions.
“It allows us to be more precise in what we’re doing,” Lopez said. “There’s less blood loss, less pain after surgery and a better recovery process.”
Lopez performed her first robotic-assisted surgery at VVRMC on June 2.
Lopez said some patients may spend about the same amount of time in the hospital as they would after traditional surgery. The biggest difference is often what happens after they go home.
Patients typically experience less pain and fewer complications during recovery, she said.
Hospital officials say the system can be used in a variety of specialties, including general surgery as well as women’s health.
Another local doctor said if you had a broken water pipe behind a wall the DaVinci 5 enables you to make a small hole in
the wall versus removing a whole piece of dry wall, except its on a human being typically meaning a much better outcome.Â
For Lopez, bringing the technology to Del Rio is about more than adding a new piece of equipment.
“I think it’s important to realize that this is something that’s available in the bigger cities, and there is no reason it shouldn’t be available in places like Del Rio,” she said.
