Latest robotic technology now offered at Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) is now offering surgical procedures using the latest technology available with the da Vinci Xi HD Surgical System. The advanced, four-arm robotic system allows surgeons to perform complex, minimally invasive procedures that often result in smaller incisions and reduced blood loss, enhanced recovery times, a lower rate of complications and less time spent in the hospital.
Kendall Feia, MD (center) and Ian Schwartz, MD (left) demonstrate the da Vinci Xi Surgical System for the surgery team.
“We may not be the first to offer da Vinci but that means we have the most innovative technology available literally at our fingertips,” explains urologist Kendall Feia, MD, who has performed hundreds of procedures using the da Vinci system and is one of the surgeons leading its implementation at the Level I Trauma Center.
The da Vinci Xi Surgery System integrates robotic technology to virtually extend the surgeon’s eyes and hands. While seated at a console in the operating room just a few feet away from the patient, the surgeon views a 3-D high-definition image of the surgical area and the intuitive system mimics the surgeon’s hand movements in real time while he or she operates. The surgeon is in complete control throughout the procedure.
“The precision offered by this technology enhances the surgical experience of my patients and ultimately gets them back to their daily activities as soon as possible,” said Dr. Feia. “That’s the most rewarding feature of da Vinci.”
In addition to general surgery cases for upper and lower GI concerns, surgical specialties most frequently using da Vinci include OB/GYN (for hysterectomy, endometriosis), urology (prostatectomy and nephrectomy), and thoracic surgery (lung cases).
More than 10,000 surgeries are performed annually at HCMC. While more than one-third of the surgical patients are considered “major” in severity of illness, HCMC surgeons also provide a full range of elective surgical care and have expertise in the latest minimally invasive techniques, including the da Vinci XI HD Surgical System. For more information, go to hcmc.org/surgery.
