Da Vinci Robot allows for minimally invasive surgeries resulting in less pain, smaller incisions and less recovery time

Crisp Regional Hospital is excited to announce that the first surgical case with the newly purchased da Vinci Robotic Surgical System was successfully completed by Dr. Courtney Pettiford on Thursday, February 9, 2017.  The modern day technology of the da Vinci Robot allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgeries resulting in less pain, smaller incisions and less recovery time.

The da Vinci Surgical System is a tool that utilizes advanced, robotic, computer and optical technologies to assist our surgeons with operations.  It does not act on its own and its movements are controlled by the surgeons.  The da Vinci Surgical System has a 3D high definition vision system, special instruments and computer software that allow our surgeons to operate with enhanced vision, precision, and dexterity and control.  The 3D-HD image is highly magnified, so the surgeon has a close-up view of the area he is operating on.  The da Vinci instruments have mechanical wrists that bend and rotate to mimic the movements of the human wrist, allowing surgeons to make small, precise movements inside the body.

Da Vinci surgery is a less invasive technique than open surgery.  With da Vinci, the incisions made in the body are much smaller than the cut made during open surgery.  Because surgery with the da Vinci is minimally invasive, it is likely to result in a shorter hospital stay, less blood loss, fewer complications, less need for narcotic pain medicine, a faster recovery and smaller incisions with minimal scarring.   

Crisp Regional Hospital purchased the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System in December 2016.  The purchase of the da Vinci allows CRH to modernize healthcare for our community and foster better healthcare experiences for our patients.   Providing the most up to date, modern technology at Crisp Regional Hospital allows for people in our community to receive the best healthcare right here at home, keeping consistent with the CRH motto, “We go farther so you don’t have to”.

Dr. Courtney Pettiford, a general surgeon at Crisp Regional Hospital, has been doing surgeries with the da Vinci since 2013.  Dr. Pettiford shares his thoughts on the da Vinci in saying, “The da Vinci robot by Intuitive Surgical is a welcomed tool in the area of surgical care that allows us, with impressive control, to take care of our patients in ways that we, as surgeons, couldn’t before.  I perform many surgeries with greater confidence, knowing that I’m doing what’s in the best interest of my patients.  In many surgeries, there is a clear difference in the pain that is experienced, with less pain being felt with da Vinci procedures.  I hope that if I ever need a surgery that can be done better with the da Vinci that a caring surgeon would be willing to do the same for me as I do for my own patients.”  Dr. Lynn Lyons, Urologist at CRH, also has experience in using the da Vinci for Urological procedures and is excited about doing selective Urological procedures with it in the near future.

For more information about the da Vinci Surgical System, please contact Sandy Warbington at 229-276-3397.