Roper St. Francis Brings da Vinci Surgical Robot to Lowcountry
Advanced surgical system to perform prostate and GYN procedures at Roper Hospital

When Mark Wilson, a perfusionist in the cardiovascular operating room at Roper Hospital, went to his urologist for a biopsy, the last thing he and his family expected was for the results to come back positive for prostate cancer. With a seven-year-old daughter at home, Wilson’s main objective became finding the right treatment option for him. His urologist recommended an alternative treatment option, the da Vinci Surgical System, a minimally invasive robotic assisted system that enhances precision and accuracy.

While Wilson, 48, had to travel last fall to St. Joseph’s in Atlanta, local patients will now be able to benefit right here in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The da Vinci Surgical System is housed in a dedicated operating room at Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s downtown campus. It is the first location in the Lowcountry and fourth in the state to offer this advanced technology. The da Vinci surgical robot will be used for select patients beginning in mid-July.

“I think [the da Vinci robotic system] is the future of surgery,” said Wilson. “I was excited about it and felt completely safe using this option.”

The da Vinci Surgical System is a sophisticated robot, which assists surgeons performing complex surgeries through tiny incisions typical of minimally invasive surgery. It consists of four interactive robotic arms, a surgeon’s console, a high definition 3-D vision system and EndoWrist instruments. It joins robotics and computer technologies to translate surgeon’s hand movements into more precise movements by the EndoWrist instruments. The instruments are designed with seven degrees of motion that mimic the dexterity of the human hand and wrist. Each instrument has a specific surgical mission such as clamping, suturing and tissue manipulation.

Dennis Kubinski, MD, a board certified urologist on the Roper St. Francis medical staff agrees, “da Vinci is very exciting technology that is a valuable asset to the medical field.” He adds, “Almost all candidates for open prostatectomy are also able to receive robotic surgery.” Dr. Kubinski trained with the da Vinci Surgical System from 2003 to 2005 during his residency at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC.

Intuitive Surgical first introduced the da Vinci Surgical System in 1999. Named for the visionary inventor and artist Leonardo daVinci, the innovative surgical system that bears his name is currently being used by select medical centers, including the Mayo Clinic, Baylor and Stanford University medical centers.

The da Vinci Surgical System offers such patient benefits as shorter hospital stays, less pain and a quicker return to everyday activities. da Vinci is used most prevalently in urological cases, such as Wilson’s. In fact, nationally, about 45 percent of all prostatectomies are performed robotically. Other applications include gynecologic surgery such as hysterectomies. Cardiothoracic surgeons are also using it in procedures ranging from mitral valve repair to coronary-bypass surgery.

“We’re thrilled to offer da Vinci to patients, like Mark, who may benefit from this new technology, and now it’s available right here at home,” said Steven Shapiro, MD, Roper St. Francis Healthcare Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer.