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da Vinci robotic surgery at Mercy Hospital

Surgeons at Mercy Hospital are performing more and more complex procedures — including prostate, heart, kidney and gynecological surgery — using the da Vinci® Surgical System. Because the incisions are so small, patients have less pain and recover faster. There is less blood loss and surgeons can operate with greater precision.

The technology allows physicians to perform laparoscopic and some complex surgeries more accurately and less invasively than traditional surgical methods. A robotic device is simply a mechanical tool that gives feedback to the surgeon via sensors, who can then send instructions back to the device.

Benefits for patients

• Shorter hospital stay
• Less pain
• Less blood loss
• Less risk of infection
• Shorter hospital stay
• Less scarring
• Faster recovery

Robotic cancer surgery

The da Vinci system is the most advanced technology for radical prostatectomy, hysterectomy, myomectomy, and some esophageal and gastric procedures. It is also used for heart surgery.

For prostate cancer surgery, for instance, it is traditional to make one large incision to remove the organ. With the da Vinci device, the physician makes several, small incisions, through which is fed a tiny camera and special surgical tools. The camera sends images back to the physician who can view them on a 3D monitor. The physician then can make surgical decisions based on what is shown and send these decisions back through the device to be carried out. In addition to improved accuracy, some studies have shown a reduction in impotency and incontinence in patients.

How it works

Although similar to laparoscopic surgery, during a da Vinci surgery the surgeon controls the system while sitting at a console a few feet from the patient. Another surgeon assists at the operating table, where the robotic arms and instruments are located. The surgeon at the console views a screen that shows 3-D images of the surgical site and uses hand and foot controls to operate the robotic arms. The robotic arms move just like a wrist, so the surgeon can move the instruments in a full circle, not just up and down or sideways.

Mercy Hospital
4050 Coon Rapids Blvd.
Coon Rapids, MN 55433
763-236-6000
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