Robotic Surgery

At North Colorado Medical Center, surgeons can use robotics to help patients have better, faster and easier recoveries from difficult procedures. The robot provides surgeons with all the clinical benefits of traditional open surgery while enabling them to operate through tiny incisions. With smaller incisions, patients can heal faster.

da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System
Banner Health uses the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System. DaVinci, a well-known system, consists of an ergonomically designed surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance vision system and proprietary EndoWrist® Instruments. Powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology, the surgeon’s hand movements are scaled, filtered, and seamlessly translated into precise movements of the EndoWrist® Instruments.

The surgical system cannot be programmed, nor can it make decisions on its own. It requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from the surgeon.

Benefits of Robotic Surgery
With robotic surgery, patients who once faced several weeks in recovery following surgery can be back on their feet within days. Through an advanced technology that creates a less invasive approach to surgery, patients may experience:

• Reduced trauma to the body
• Reduced blood loss and need for transfusions
• Less post-operative pain and discomfort
• Less risk of infection
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster recovery and return to normal daily activities
• Less scarring

Robotic surgery improves patient experiences and outcomes by  changing surgery in three ways:

1. Simplifying many existing minimally invasive surgical procedures—Many surgical laparoscopic procedures may be performed more quickly and easily using robotics because of the increased clinical capability while maintaining the same "look and feel" of open surgery.
2. Making difficult minimally invasive surgical operations routine—Robotics allows more surgeons to perform complex procedures using a minimally invasive approach, routinely, and with confidence.
3. Making new minimally invasive surgical procedures possible—Robotics enables the  surgeon to perform more procedures through 1-2 centimeter incisions.

Procedures
Currently, North Colorado Medical Center performs the following procedure with the da Vinci® Surgical System:

• Gastric bypass and LAP-BAND® Adjustable Gastric Banding System (bariatric surgery)
• Hysterectomy and Myomectomy  (gynecologic procedures)
• Prostatectomy (prostate procedures)