Robotic Surgery System Announced at Providence Hospital

February 23, 2012 Mobile, Alabama—Providence Hospital is pleased to announced the introduction of robotic surgical technology offering a minimally-invasive option to open surgery and laparoscopic procedures—the da Vinci® Surgical System for robotic surgery.

Funded through donations to the Providence Hospital Foundation, the sophisticated robotic surgical platform is designed to expand the surgeon’s capabilities and offer a minimally invasive option for major surgery. Providence’s first use of the robotic surgical system was in November 2011. The system is available for use in cardiothoracic, general, gynecological and urological surgery procedures.

The robotic surgical system enables small incisions to be used to introduce miniaturized wristed instruments and a high-definition 3D camera. Seated comfortably at the robotic console, the surgeon views a magnified, high-resolution 3D image of the surgical site. At the same time, state-of-the-art robotic and computer technologies scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon's hand movements into precise micro-movements of the special instrumentation.

Compared to open surgery, patients treated using the robotic surgical platform for performing surgical procedures frequently experience significantly less pain, a shorter hospital stay and a faster return to normal daily activities—as well as the potential for better clinical outcomes.

Dr. William Blaylock, urologist with Bay Urology, P.C, said, “I am pleased to be able to offer my patients the latest technology in the surgical treatment of urologic problems here at Providence Hospital. The robot allows for the surgical treatment of prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and some benign kidney diseases with small incisions, less pain, lower blood loss, and quicker recoveries compared to open approaches.”

“The robotic surgical system is one of several recent technology enhancements at Providence which continues Providence Hospital’s commitment to providing state of the art technology to deliver safe, high-quality patient care,” said Clark Christianson, president and CEO. “We are very grateful to the members of our community who have so generously supported the Providence Hospital Foundation over the years, as their generosity has made this advancement possible,” added Christianson.

About Providence Hospital
Providence Hospital, a 349-bed facility and member of Ascension Health, cares for more than 14,000 inpatients and 160,000 outpatients each year. Providence Hospital is affiliated with M. D. Anderson Physicians Network®, a subsidiary of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center recognized as the nation’s leader in cancer care. Other specialized services offered at Providence include open-heart surgery, obstetrics, a freestanding rehabilitation and wellness center and an Outpatient Center with dedicated outpatient diagnostic services and surgical suites. Providence has performed more open-heart surgeries than any other area hospital in five of the last seven years, and delivers more babies than any other private hospital in Mobile.
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Contact Providence Hospital

Michael D. King
Director,Planning and Marketing 251/633-1367
mking@providencehospital.org