Although robotic surgery was first approved by the FDA back in 2000, it took time for surgeons to embrace the technology. But embrace it they did, and today robots are a common sight in American operating rooms, including those at Monument Health.
In September 2018, Rapid City Hospital began using the newest da Vinci Xi robots, made by Intuitive, for all types of abdominal and chest procedures. The hospital now has two Xi systems. And soon, orthopedic surgeons at Spearfish Hospital and the Monument Health Orthopedic and Specialty Hospital in Rapid City will begin using the Zimmer Biomet ROSA robotic surgery system for knee replacement procedures.
A big reason for the popularity of robots, surgeons say, is that the technology has advanced dramatically in recent years. Equipment manufacturers are turning out new generations of surgical platforms that assist with knee replacement, brain surgery, spine surgery and a wide variety of abdominal and chest procedures.
Clinical data show that robot-assisted surgery can result in less pain, faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, fewer readmissions, lower costs and better overall outcomes.
The robots don’t actually perform the surgery. However, in the hands of a skilled surgeon, a robotic system can bring a new level of precision, control and flexibility to a variety of procedures, said Patrick Kenney, D.O., Regional Health’s Robotic Surgery Program Director. He has been performing surgery with the da Vinci robot since 2012, first at his practice in Atlanta and now at Monument Health.