Friday, February 1, 2019
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New surgical robot helps cut down on opioid use
Roper St. Francis Healthcare is taking the lead in reducing opioid use, and a new surgical robot at Roper Hospital will enhance its ongoing efforts on that issue.
During events on Thursday and Friday, physicians and teammates welcomed the da Vinci XI to our family of surgical robots. The new robot provides less-invasive, lower-risk procedures and quicker recovery times for patients, and it enables doctors to prescribe less recovery pain medication, such as opioids.
“We are really excited to mature our robotics program one step forward, and this inspires all of us to do better for our patients,” said Dr. Megan Baker, Breast Surgeon and Physician Leader of the Surgical Services Integrated Practice Network (IPN). “This robot allows us to help more patients by minimizing their risks, easing their recovery and lessening their need for opioids — and we all know how important that is.”
Roper St. Francis has been lauded as a leader in the state for bringing down opioid prescription rates. The healthcare system has been a pioneer in providing minimally invasive surgeries for patients in the Lowcountry.
We were the first healthcare provider in the Southeast to use a da Vinci robot in June 2007, and we have performed more than 5,200 robotic procedures and are currently averaging more than 700 procedures on an annual basis.
More than 20 surgeons use the da Vinci robot at Roper Hospital in a multi-disciplinary program that includes seven specialties — Urology, Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology, General Surgery, Colorectal surgery, Thoracic surgery, Surgical Oncology
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