Robotic technology revolutionizing surgery, local doctor tells Palm Beach Chamber guests
Robotic surgery has come a long way since it was first performed in the mid-1990s, a Good Samaritan Medical Center-affiliated physician told guests Wednesday at the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce's monthly breakfast meeting at The Breakers.
Christopher McCann, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute in West Palm Beach, said the use of artificial intelligence in surgical procedures has increased dramatically as technology has evolved.
The Da Vinci surgical system, in particular, has revolutionized medicine worldwide by allowing surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgical procedures with precision, McCann said during remarks to local business owners, residents and town officials. Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000 for use in general laparoscopic surgery, the system is designed to expand a surgeon’s capabilities and offer an option to open surgery, McCann said.
During a robotic-assisted procedure, surgeons use master controls at a special console to direct the instruments during a patient's surgery. The computer translates the surgeon's movements to the instruments that move inside the patient's body. In 2021, more than 1.5 million surgical procedures were performed worldwide using the Da Vinci surgical system, McCann said.
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"This technology really changes the way patients are being taken care of in our field," he said.
In his practice, McCann uses the Da Vinci surgical system to perform a variety of procedures such as hysterectomies, myomectomies and gynecologic cancer surgeries.
Patients recover more quickly from these procedures and experience less blood loss, wound infections, scarring and discomfort, McCann said. Patients often come home on the same day as their surgeries.
"With the advent of robotics, we can treat women with minimally invasive procedures with minimal side effects," he said. "This is a good option for women with gynecologic cancers. It's also a great tool for other complicated procedures like endometriosis and pelvic organ prolapse."
In addition to gynecologic surgeries, robotic platforms also are used in a variety of other medical procedures such as hernia repair, coronary artery bypass, gallbladder removal and colon resection, McCann said.
"At Good Samaritan Medical Center, we have many specialties that use the robot, including gynecology, oncology, thoracic, dental and colorectal," he said. "We do quite a bit of robotic surgery."
For many patients, McCann said, robotic surgery is a better alternative to open surgery. "Thousands of procedures have been done, and the technology is well-documented for its safety and efficacy," he said.
The Chamber's final breakfast event of the 2022-23 season will be held June 8. The Annual Awards Breakfast, sponsored by The Breakers, begins at 8 a.m. The Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, which was founded in 1929, represents the local business community through programming, advocacy and education.
For more information on robotic surgery at Good Samaritan Medical Center, visit www.palmbeachhealthnetwork.com or call 888-318-0764.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Robotic surgery safe and effective, local doctor tells Palm Beach Chamber
