New Hampshire American College of Surgeons FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 4, 2002 Contact: Monica Bardier (603) 663-6055 Catholic Medical Center Unveils Surgical Robot Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH has become one of a select number of hospitals worldwide to obtain the latest advancement in surgical technology—a surgical robot. The da Vinci™ Intuitive Surgical Robotics System, the only surgical robot approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, is considered to be revolutionizing surgery across the world. Fewer than 100 hospitals worldwide have this technology. “When I first saw this system, I knew I was looking at the future of surgery,” says CMC President/CEO Alyson Pitman Giles. “The technology is amazing. It’s less invasive for the patient and provides the surgeons with a steadier ‘hand.’ Our board of directors was immediately supportive.” How da Vinci Operates The three-armed da Vinci sits on a console next to the patient. One arm contains a tiny camera; surgical instruments are attached to the two other arms. Inserted through one-centimeter incisions, the arms are guided by the surgeon, who sits at another console a few feet away. The surgeon’s console offers a 3-D view of the procedure, with magnification up to 10 times. Using controls at his or her console, the surgeon is able to cut, clamp, and sew inside the body without needing to create the large incisions that are required to accommodate human hands. Unlike standard laparoscopic surgery, in which instruments provide a mirror image of a surgeon’s movements—up is down and left is right—the da Vinci system duplicates exactly the full range of the surgeon’s movements and is easier to operate. Patients operated on with the da Vinci system also benefit from less pain, fewer infections, a shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery. Uses: Robotics is now used successfully in certain general and urological cases and has many applications in gynecological surgery. Surgeons at Catholic Medical Center will initially use the device during heart bypass surgery, alleviating the need to cut the patient’s breastbone and retract the ribs. As the FDA approves more procedures, Catholic Medical Center expects to perform mitral valve surgery; single, double, and triple bypass procedures, and eventually beating heart endoscopic surgeries with the system. “We were the first medical center in New England to perform beating heart surgery and we have performed over 1,000,” says Yvon R. Baribeau, MD, FACS, who traveled to five medical centers in Europe last fall to watch surgeons use the da Vinci during heart surgery. “Our expertise in beating heart surgery makes us an ideal center to follow up with robotics technology.” On April 1 and 2, several members of the hospital’s staff participated in a two-day training on the da Vinci system at the Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ. In addition to Dr. Baribeau, Marc Sullivan, PA, Ken Bodkin, CST, Anne Paris, RN, and Audrey Smith, RN received fully-credentialed training from Intuitive Surgical System, makers of the da Vinci system. Other surgical specialists at Catholic Medical Center will also soon be using da Vinci to perform minimally invasive general surgery procedures. The application lends itself well to several general surgeries, as well as urologic and gynecological procedures. A local spine surgeon is also developing protocols to utilize the robot for back surgery. Currently, the FDA has approved the system for surgical procedures including general and thoracic surgery, neurology, and some cardiac procedures; additional procedures are slated for FDA approval. “Our goal with the da Vinci is to improve patient care,” says Dr. Baribeau. “Initially it won’t make surgery faster for the surgeon than the open, conventional fashion, but it’s far easier on the patient.” More information on the da Vinci system is available on Catholic Medical Center’s web site: catholicmedicalcenter.org. Serving the Community for more than 100 years, Catholic Medical Center is a 330-bed full-service healthcare facility dedicated to providing health, healing and hope to all. Catholic Medical Center offers full medical-surgical care with more than 25 subspecialties. Catholic Medical Center is also home to the nationally recognized New England Heart Institute. # # #