Medicine

Robotically assisted surgery comes to the Medical Center

Beginning this fall, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center will be home to the newest surgical robotic system, the da Vinci SI. Now, the most up-to-date surgical technology is available for patients in central Pennsylvania.

Robotically-assisted surgery represents further advances in minimally invasive surgery, and precision is the key enhancement. The contemporary da Vinci system represents an evolutionary step in surgical technology, offering an instrument that can control a camera with one hand while simultaneously manipulating tiny laparoscopic surgical tools in its other hands. With a Medical Center surgeon at the controls, da Vinci filters out tremor, enhances precision, offers three-dimensional imaging and may eliminate some of the fatigue associated with conventional laparoscopy.

A full surgical team will tackle complex conditions ranging from cancer to uterine prolapse, fibroids and weight-loss surgery. All can be treated with robotically assisted surgery. It requires fewer and smaller incisions, allowing patients to return to their lives more quickly.

The newly established Robotic Surgical Services team is led by Dr. Stephanie Estes as medical director, and includes robotics coordinator Heather Sterner and manager Betsy Hartman.

“Robotic surgical services are transforming how we perform surgery,” Estes said. “At Penn State Hershey Medical Center, we have a dedicated team of physicians from a variety of specialties moving forward with robotic technology to allow access to advanced minimally invasive techniques that can result in improved patient outcomes and revolutionary progress in the health care field.”

For more information, visit the updated Web site for the services offered at the Medical Center at http://www.pennstatehershey.org/davinci.

Last Updated October 7, 2009

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