Patients Enjoy Smaller Incisions, Less Blood Loss and Faster Recoveries
(Boynton Beach, FL --) A new virtual-reality simulator – the first in Florida -- is helping surgeons at Bethesda Memorial Hospital to expand their surgical capabilities utilizing the da Vinci Si Surgical System, a state-of-the-art platform for minimally invasive surgery.
The da Vinci Skills Simulator looks and feels like the real thing, but instead of using physical instruments, surgeons can explore the virtues of robotic surgery with virtual surgical needles and objects. The device contains a variety of exercises designed to give surgeons the opportunity to improve their proficiency with the da Vinci robotics system.
Bethesda Memorial Hospital is the first hospital in Florida to provide its surgeons with this new simulator, enabling them to master the highest level of skills needed for robotic surgery.
Simulation in all forms is becoming an important part of the learning experience for surgical technology. By providing a controlled re-creation of critical steps in instrument control, simulation allows surgeons to practice their skills in a non-clinical environment that once required expensive models or cadavers for learning.
The da Vinci Skills Simulator provides surgeons with objective feedback on their performance when they complete an exercise. Over time, surgeons can track their progress on the device and work to improve their skills before they use it on patients.
“Having the da Vinci system provides so many opportunities for our physicians to provide the highest quality of care in minimally invasive surgery for their patients,” said Roger Kirk, Executive Vice President/COO of Bethesda Memorial Hospital. “Plus, as our medical residency program continues to grow, the new simulator will strengthen the skills of our upcoming surgeons preparing them with real-time, hands-on experiences,” Kirk added.
The da Vinci Surgical System and the Skills Simulator are developed by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. Intuitive Surgical, Inc. is the global technology leader in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. The company’s da Vinci Surgical System offers surgeons superior visualization, enhanced dexterity and greater precision compared to traditional surgical approaches. More than 500,000 patients worldwide affected by a range of conditions have had a da Vinci prodecure. The da Vinci System enables surgeons to perform the most complex of procedures such as open-heart surgery through 1-2 cm incisions. Founded in 1995, Intuitive Surgical has more than 1,300 employees in offices around the world.
Founded in 1959, Bethesda Healthcare System is a nonprofit healthcare organization serving the medical needs of South Palm Beach County with a mission to provide quality health services in a caring manner. As the flagship of Bethesda Healthcare System, Bethesda Memorial Hospital is a 401-bed hospital with more than 550 physicians in more than 40 areas of specialty on its medical staff. Bethesda Memorial Hospital and its affiliates offer a full array of healthcare services, including general, vascular and endovascular surgery, maternity, neonatal and pediatric intensive care, women’s health services and the Bethesda Comprehensive Cancer Center, an Affiliate of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. The Bethesda Heart Hospital, a 39-bed, all private room facility, provides the most comprehensive level of cardiovascular services and is ranked among the top five percent of heart hospitals nationwide by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Currently under construction, Bethesda West Hospital, is Palm Beach County’s newest hospital located on the corner of Boynton Beach Blvd. and US-441. This 80-bed, all private room hospital will open in early 2013. Visit www.BethesdaWeb.com.