Our Lady of the Lake is committed to the most advanced technology to enhance patient care and help patients get back to life sooner. Recently, the hospital invested in a daVinci Surgical System, which is currently being used for prostate removal, kidney removal and certain complex head and neck procedures such as removing tumors from the base of the tongue or removing stones from saliva glands. Our Lady of the Lake is the only medical center in the area using the daVinci Surgical System for these types of procedures.
Transoral Robotic Surgery
Our Lady of the Lake Otolaryngologist Dr. Rohan Walvekar is the only physician in the state performing robotic assisted surgery to remove cancerous or benign tumors on the base of the tongue, tonsil, and oral cavity. The procedure is called Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS). Before robotic assisted surgery became an option, the traditional treatments for cancers of the tongue base and tonsil were surgery and/or radiation and chemotherapy followed by a major operation. With the robotic assisted procedure, the surgeon accesses the tumor through the patient’s mouth and in most cases the patient can avoid the need for a feeding or breathing tube. In addition, according to some studies, 20% to 30% of patients are able to avoid chemotherapy and radiation. Transoral Robotic Surgery is an option for early and intermediate stage oropharyngeal cancers. It’s also being used to remove benign tumors of the oral cavity and voice box, specifically on patients with sleep apnea, and to perform some adult tonsillectomies.
Robotic Technology
The daVinci Surgical System is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. The daVinci System consists of a surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance vision system and specialized instruments. The system is operated by a surgeon sitting just a few feet away from the patient at the console. Using a high-powered camera, the surgeon guides the arms of the robot holding the surgical tools, which are inserted into the patient through small, keyhole-sized incisions. The daVinci System’s highly accurate instruments allow the surgeon to move his own hands — and the robot’s — to conduct precise movements with extraordinary control and range of motion. The daVinci’s video monitoring system provides a three-dimensional view of the surgery with magnification ten times that of the naked eye.
““This is the next generation of surgery and surgical technique,” said Dr. James Morris, Urologist. “Patients see a tremendous benefit. Robotic procedures are less invasive, so there is typically less blood loss, less pain, and shorter hospital stays and patients are able to return to normal activities more quickly.””
The daVinci Surgical System allows surgeons to perform procedures laparoscopically instead of a more traditional open approach. Some benefits of using the daVinci Surgical System for minimally invasive surgery include: high-definition 3D vision and unparalled precision and ability to fully manipulate small objects through a small space, provided by the system’s EndoWrist instrumentation.
Robotic Procedures offered include:
Prostatectomy or prostate removal
Transoral Microsurgery to remove cancer or tumors at the base of the tongue
Complex tonsillectomy
Sialendoscopy to remove stones from saliva glands
Nephrectomy or kidney removal.
For more information about daVinci surgical options offered at Our Lady of the Lake, call (225) 765-6757.
The daVinci Surgical System is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. The daVinci System consists of a surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance vision system and specialized instruments. The system is operated by a surgeon sitting just a few feet away from the patient at the console. Using a high-powered camera, the surgeon guides the arms of the robot holding the surgical tools, which are inserted into the patient through small, keyhole-sized incisions. The daVinci System’s highly accurate instruments allow the surgeon to move his own hands — and the robot’s — to conduct precise movements with extraordinary control and range of motion. The daVinci’s video monitoring system provides a three-dimensional view of the surgery with magnification ten times that of the naked eye.
