St. Mary’s Expands Surgical Services with da Vinci Xi Robot in Athens, Greensboro and Lavonia

The da Vinci Xi combines state-of-the-art visualization and miniaturized surgical tools to go beyond the capability of the human eye and hand.

St. Mary’s Health Care System is proud to take the next step forward in minimally invasive surgery with the acquisition of the da Vinci Xi Surgical System. The da Vinci Xi combines state-of-the-art visualization and miniaturized surgical tools to go beyond the capability of the human eye and hand.

"St. Mary's introduced robotic surgery to the Athens area more than 10 years ago," says Titus Gambrell, St. Mary's Chief Nursing Officer. "Our robot has been an invaluable tool for our surgeons and thousands of patients. Our new da Vinci Xi represents a great advance in robotic surgery technology. With it, we will be able to continue to meet the needs and expectations of our surgeons and patients for years to come."

Robotic minimally invasive surgery may provide significant benefits to patients over traditional procedures. Benefits may include smaller incisions, less pain, less blood loss, less scaring, and reduced risk of infection. In many cases, it may also include less time in the operating room, shorter overall hospitalization, and a faster return to normal activities. With the da Vinci Xi, even highly complicated and delicate procedures can be performed through very small incisions.

The surgeon is present in the operating room throughout the entire procedure and has complete control over the robot. The robot is an assistive device. It translates the surgeon's hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient's body. Its immersive 3D, high-definition vision system provides the surgeon with a highly magnified view. The system virtually extends the surgeons hands and vision into the patient, but uses "keyholes" instead of the long incisions necessary for traditional procedures.

The da Vinci Xi system is being used at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens for a host of minimally invasive surgical procedures in the areas of urology, thoracic surgery, and general surgery. Key features of the da Vinci Xi include:

• A newly designed overhead instrument arm to improve access to the surgical site from almost any position.
• A more compact miniaturized camera design to provide improved vision definition and clarity.
• The ability to attach the camera to any of the system's three arms, providing flexibility for visualizing the surgical site.
• Smaller, thinner arms with newly designed joints that offer a greater range of motion than ever before.
• Longer instrument shafts designed to give surgeons greater operative reach.

In addition, the da Vinci Xi system is designed to accommodate and seamlessly integrate a range of current technologies and future innovations in areas such as imaging, advanced instruments, and anatomical access.

"St. Mary's is truly thrilled to be a leader in the field of minimally invasive robotic surgery," Gambrell concludes. "We look forward to continuing to bring the most advanced minimally invasive surgical options to Northeast Georgia."

St. Mary's Foundation Board has pledged to support the purchase of the new robot with a fundraising effort in the near future.

Please note that there are risks associated with any kind of surgery. It is important to talk to your provider about potential risks and benefits of surgery before deciding on a course of treatment.

Expanding the big vision across Northeast Georgia

In addition to the continuum of surgical care available at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia and Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro bring a wide range of quality surgical services to their communities.

"Our vision is to make high-quality healthcare services available locally," says Montez Carter, President and CEO. "That vision is why we continue to expand our surgical services at all three of our hospitals – so that the people we serve in communities across our region can get the care they need close to home."

Surgical capabilities at Sacred Heart Hospital

• Gastroenterology
• General surgery
• Gynecology
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Podiatry
• Urology

Surgical capabilities at Good Samaritan Hospital

• Cardiac pacemaker implantation
• Gastroenterology
• General surgery
• Gynecology
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Podiatry
• Urology

Discover available surgical services from Athens General & Colorectal Surgeons

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Da Vinci Xi surgical system in action, including the video monitor that allows the surgeon’s team to see what the surgeon sees as he or she conducts the procedure.

The da Vinci Xi surgical system is entirely controlled by the surgeon. The system translates the surgeon's hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient's body. Photo courtesy of Intuitive Surgical.