January Cover Story: da Vinci: Less pain, faster recovery
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A combination of surgical skills, computer technology and robotics enables Backus to offer the latest in state-of-the-art surgery options.
The da Vinci robotic surgical system allows surgeons to perform delicate procedures through very small incisions.
T. Casey McCullough, DO, a board-certified urologist on the Backus Medical Staff and the only physician in eastern Connecticut who is specially trained in robotic surgery, sits at a console in the operating room which has two eye pieces, controls for each hand and four foot pedals. The eye pieces allow him to see the surgical field in three-dimension at 10-12 times magnification. The master controls for each hand move and control the surgical robot.
"If you take your head out of the console, the robot arms stop moving as a safety measure," he explained.
One of the four pedals is a clutch, which allows the doctor to reposition the arms as needed, to reach deeper during a surgery. One is camera pedal, to move the camera. One is for cauterizing tissue and the fourth is for fine cauterization of tissue. He has done six prostate and kidney procedures since the system was installed in October at Backus, in addition to the one hundred plus procedures he performed while in Paris, France during his fellowship.
Dr. McCullough said there is initial evidence the procedure provides better clinical outcomes, with less of a chance of impotence and incontinence.
The traditional open surgery to remove a prostate, for example, requires an eight- to 10-inch incision, can lead to substantial blood loss and a lengthy and uncomfortable recovery. With the robotic system, there are smaller incisions, which can reduce or spare nerve damage as well.
To learn more about da Vinci surgery, click here.
Or to view a video highlighting actual procedures at Backus, click here.
The benefits of the system include:
- Smaller incisions
- Less pain
- Less scarring
- Shorter hospital stays
- Faster recovery periods