Florida Hospital Tampa, a not-for-profit 475-bed tertiary hospital in Tampa, Florida, US, has become the first hospital in the region to perform single-site incision robotic surgery to remove a gallbladder.
Surgeons at Florida Hospital Tampa used the da Vinci® robotic surgical system to perform a cholecystectomy, also called gallbladder removal surgery, using a single incision through the belly button.
Florida Hospital Tampa general surgeon Dr Earl McAllister said using single-site robotic-assisted gallbladder surgery means that only one incision, less than an inch in length, is needed to successfully perform the procedure.
"The advantages include minimal scarring, less pain, less bleeding, faster recovery time and a shorter hospital stay," Dr McAllister added.
McAllister estimates that 50% of his patients who are suitable candidates for conventional laparoscopic surgery are now candidates for the new single-site robotic-assisted surgery using the da Vinci robotic surgical system.
With the da Vinci system, small incisions are used to introduce miniaturised wristed instruments and a high-definition 3D camera. The robotic and computer technologies scale, filter and translate the surgeon's hand movements into accurate micro-movements of the da Vinci instruments.
Florida Hospital Tampa president and chief executive officer John Harding said, "Providing our patients with minimally invasive surgical procedures that utilise state-of-the-art equipment like the da Vinci robotic surgical system underscores our commitment to quality patient care while enhancing patient safety."
Image: Florida Hospital Tampa used the da Vinci robotic surgical system to perform minimally invasive laparoscopic gallbladder removal through the belly button. Photo: Nimur at en.wikipedia.
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