Memorial Health System Celebrates 5,000 Procedures With da Vinci Robotic Surgical System
Memorial Health System is a mission-driven not-for-profit health system led by a volunteer board of community members committed to strengthening the health of our region. We are comprised of a network of locations and specialties provided by over 3,300 employees and providers. We strive to deliver low-cost quality care with an additional focus on medical education and community service. We invest in the most advanced technologies and treatments today, giving our patients the care
that they need, so they can stay close to home.
It’s been nine years since Memorial Health System (MHS) brought the da Vinci robotic surgical system to our health system, allowing for minimally invasive procedures, better outcomes, and quicker recovery times for those in need of surgery. In those nine years, after implementing the surgical system in 2014, we are proud to announce the 5,000th procedure completed with the da Vinci.
Robotic surgery has completely revolutionized the way every single surgical provider practices surgery at the health system. The implementation of the da Vinci is now across all disciplines of the health system, including oncology, general surgery, OBGYN, urology, and more.
“It’s a superior platform in terms of ergonomics, optics, as well as accessibility to treat certain areas of the body,” says surgical oncologist, Rajendra Bhati, MD. “That translates to minimal trauma, which then translates into better outcomes.”
It was the vision of MHS provider Dr. Vasan to bring the next frontier of surgery to the health system, while also challenging our providers to adopt the da Vinci surgical system. Radiation oncologist, Srini Vasan, MD believed in this innovation so much that he invested $1 million to spearhead the purchase of the robot for the future of elevated care for our region.
Since using the da Vinci, MHS is now one of the top centers in the entire country to implement robotic surgery for acute cases, with the great strides of dedication from general surgeon, Tuan Nguyen, MD.
“It’s been a team effort. No single individual achieves a milestone by themselves,” Dr. Bhati says in reference to all the providers and team members who have contributed to the success of the da Vinci.
Sasha Myers, robotic surgical coordinator, has been involved in the implementation of the da Vinci since its arrival nine years ago.
“It’s been a great nine years. Honestly, it’s been fun onboarding everyone and I have a great team,” says Sasha. “I wouldn’t have believed anyone if they told me I’d be doing this nine years ago; but here we are, 5,000 cases later.”
Implementing the da Vinci to nearly all service lines within the health system has been remarkable. Our team members have truly taken to the challenge of advancing their own talent and capabilities, in order to provide our patients with world-class care. In this case, minimally invasive surgery that reduces hospital stays and gets patients home quicker.
“It’s important to take a moment, pause, and celebrate milestones. Too often we go about life just moving onto the next thing. Celebrating milestones and measuring your accomplishments is key to really understanding what this is about,” says, Dr. Bhati.
Looking forward, Sasha says, “I think any milestone you can reach is big. I follow a lot of robotic groups and watch them reach 100 or even 500 surgeries. For us to reach 5,000 in only nine years… it’s a goal that we must strive for. I think our next goal is probably to see how far each individual surgeon is and allow them to celebrate that because it is a big deal for them as well.”
To learn more about the da Vinci robotic surgical system and Memorial Health System Department of Surgery, visit mhsystem.org/Surgery.
