With the da Vinci Surgical System’s arrival at SSM Health Care-St. Louis, surgery as you know it will never be the same. Fittingly named after the 15th century Renaissance master who was centuries ahead of his time (did you know Leonardo da Vinci invented the first robot?), the da Vinci Surgical System is years ahead of its time. And just as Leonardo da Vinci himself greatly advanced the state of knowledge, the surgical device named after him — through the SSM Robotic Surgery Institute — advances the practice of surgery in St. Louis.
The Technology
Until da Vinci, small incisions were typically limited to simple procedures. Now more complex surgeries that once required up to foot-long incisions can be completed through dime-sized operating ports. The da Vinci Surgical System is a sophisticated robotic technology, with four robotic arms, which securely hold patented instruments and a high-resolution camera. It transforms conventional surgery into the unconventional.
da Vinci is Precise
You’ve undoubtedly heard about the benefits of being called “double-jointed” (unusually flexible, enabled to bend or rotate in ways that other people find impossible). da Vinci’s EndoWrist technology actually allows your surgeon to become double-jointed, so to speak, allowing each specialist to handle surgical instruments beyond the natural range of motion of the human hand.
With da Vinci, your surgeon sits a few feet away at a console. EndoWrist technology interprets and refines the surgeon’s hand movement into more precise movements. When the surgeon moves the controls to the right, EndoWrist instruments move to the right, giving the surgeon natural hand-eye coordination.
The system gives your surgeon superior agility to perform procedures through a dime-sized operating port rather than the traditional open approach, which can mean a foot-long incision. The da Vinci system simplifies existing procedures and makes difficult operations more routine and new procedures possible.
The View is Great from Here
The da Vinci Surgical System features a powerful 3-D, high-definition, panoramic viewing system that virtually extends the surgeon’s eyes and hands into the surgical field to complete more delicate work. This technology provides greater than twice the viewing resolution of traditional laparoscopic techniques.
Unlike other technologies, da Vinci’s viewing system provides your surgeon with:
- High-resolution, 3-D, stereo images
- A highly magnified view (10 times that of the naked eye)
- Brilliant color
- A natural depth of field
It all ads up to provide your surgeon with the greatest clarity and detail of tissue and anatomy. This can be critical when performing delicate dissection or in reconstructive procedures.
da Vinci is Fail-Safe
The da Vinci system incorporates multiple, redundant safety features. The system cannot be programmed to perform any type of surgical maneuver without the surgeon’s direct input. It works with the surgeon’s natural skills to become more exact and flexible, and to see anatomical structures more clearly.
Better Technology Equals Better Care
By providing surgeons with superior visualization, enhanced dexterity and greater precision, the da Vinci Surgical System makes it possible to perform complex procedures using the most minimally invasive techniques — ultimately raising the standard of care for complex surgeries.