WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The George Washington University Hospital, the regional leader for Robotic Surgery and the home to one of the largest robotic programs in the nation, will be the home to the region's first multi-specialty robotic training center in late summer 2012. The hospital also recently added two daVinci Si robots to its product line making it the first hospital in the Washington/Baltimore area with two daVinci Si systems with dual console capability and complete with fluorescence imaging and skills simulation for surgeon training.
"As a leader for robotic surgery in the region, the new multi-specialty robotic training center will promote vital continuing education attracting surgeons from across the United States and worldwide here to our nation's capital," says Kimberly Russo, Chief Operating Officer. "By investing in two daVinci Si's, The George Washington University Hospital has again shown that it is committed to using the most advanced technology to care for our patients."
The addition of the two daVinci Si robots, along with a dual console system which was purchased, will enable two surgeons to collaborate during a procedure for daVinci-enabled surgical assistance, or facilitate teaching. It will allow surgeons to exchange control of the instrument arms and endoscope. The daVinci Si's also feature built-in intercoms to facilitate communications between surgeons while both are seated at consoles.
2012 will also be a pivotal year for robotic surgery. Last month, Intuitive Surgical, Inc., announced new single-site instrumentation for the daVinci Si for laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures, the surgical remover of the gall bladder. As a result, George Washington University Hospital will send a team of surgeons, led by Dr. Fredrick Brody, MD, Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery to take part in a series of training sessions at Intuitive Surgical Inc., to learn about this newest breakthrough for a single incision surgery.
"Since it was first introduced, the daVinci robotic Surgical System has offered surgeons many benefits over traditional open methods of surgery," said Dr. Farid Gharagozloo, MD, Chief of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery. "The daVinci System allows surgeons to be more precise and increases range of motion. The System makes no decisions on its own, nor can it perform any type of surgical maneuver without the surgeon's input. The System replicates the surgeon's movements in real time."
With its flexible robotic arms and sophisticated three-dimensional imaging system, the daVinci allows surgeons to perform delicate procedures with unprecedented precision.
"The advantages of robot-assisted surgery are significant," says Dr. Thomas W. Jarrett, Chairman of the Department of Urology at George Washington University Hospital. "Incisions are smaller, patients may experience less pain, they often do not need strong narcotic pain medication and they can resume their normal daily activities in about half the time as they can with traditional surgery."
Other benefits of robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery for patients may include reduced pain and trauma to the body, less blood loss and scarring, a lower risk of infection, shorter hospital stays and a quicker recovery and return to work.
While many procedures can be done with conventional laparoscopic instruments, some complex surgeries can only be done with the extra flexibility and dexterity offered by the da Vinci system, Dr. Jarrett adds.
Minimally invasive surgical techniques allow surgeons to operate through small incisions or existing body openings, rather than use the large incisions required in traditional open surgery. In conventional laparoscopic minimally invasive procedures, a surgeon's vision, access and range of motion are limited because of the way surgical instruments enter the body.
Beginning in 2004, the George Washington University Hospital was the first hospital in the Washington/Baltimore area to have the da Vinci Surgical System for Robotic Surgery. Since then, surgeons have mastered the robot, performing more than 2,500 robotic procedures in the following areas: Colorectal; Prostate; Thoracic; Cardiovascular; Head/Neck; Kidney; Gastric Bypass; Pelvic Floor; Gynecologic; and Bladder.
The George Washington University Hospital Robotic Colorectal Program has also earned the distinction as a Colorectal Epicenter. Surgeons from around the nation will visit the George Washington University Hospital Center for Robotic Surgery to learn from Dr. Vincent Obias, MD, Director, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery. The GW Hospital Center for Robotic Surgery was the first in the region to use the da Vinci Surgical System for robotic colon and rectal surgery.
"Robotic surgery allows the surgeon to do complex rectal cancer surgery which, in the past, was extremely difficult to do in a minimally invasive manner," said Dr. Obias. "The robot improves visualization, manipulation and dissection of tissue, and we are proud to carry on the tradition of being the first hospital in the region to provide this to our patients."
The George Washington University Hospital is a 371 bed hospital located at 900 23rd Street, NW. In 2011, we saw over 18,000 inpatient admissions and more than 96,000 outpatient appointments. Our emergency department sees more than 74,500 patients a year.
The mission of The George Washington University Hospital is to provide high-quality healthcare, advanced medical technology and world class service to our patients in an academic medical center dedicated to education and research.
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Steven Taubenkibel
202-715-4447
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