Mercy Health doctor reaches 600th robotic surgery milestone

Jan. 12—A doctor at Mercy Health — Springfield Regional Medical Center has reached a milestone by completing 600 robotic surgeries, making the hospital the fourth in the state to reach the accomplishment.

Dr. Jose Rodriguez, a cardiothoracic surgeon, joined the cardiology care team of 17 physicians and advanced practice clinicals in February 2023. He has treated patients with diagnoses that include lung cancer, heart disease, aneurysm and stroke.

"Celebrating milestones like this are a way to remind ourselves of the many patients we've treated already and the lives we still have the ability to touch and improve with our continued training and investment in the best technologies available," said Ben Merick, vice president of operations for Mercy Health.

This milestone puts Mercy Health as the fourth hospital in Ohio who reached the 600th procedure mark and the only one in southwest Ohio to have that level of experience, according to Intuitive Surgical, a corporation that develops and manufacturers robotic products designed to improve clinical outcomes.

Rodriguez is a surgeon who uses the daVinici technology at SRMC, which is a system that allows surgeons to perform procedures with smaller incisions that cause less scarring and result in shorter recovery times.

Other Mercy Health surgeons have used robotics for oncology, bariatric, orthopedic, brain and spine cases.

"I'm proud of what Mercy Health has already been able to collectively accomplish with surgeons from so many distinct disciplines. Looking forward, we hope to continue expanding upon the surgical offerings we can provide to patients locally," Merick said.

For more information, visit mercy.com.