SALISBURY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Robotic surgeries are on the rise in the Lehigh Valley, and advanced technology is helping surgeons perform more precise procedures.
Lehigh Valley Health Network has announced it is the only health system in the state to begin using the da Vinci 5 surgical system.
The system is at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township.
"We don't want to just do robotics for the sake of doing robotics. We want to do it because we believe in it and there are better outcomes from a clinical standpoint, as well as from a value standpoint.”James Miller, president of LVHN’s Northampton region and senior vice president of Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence.
"We don't want to just do robotics for the sake of doing robotics,” said James Miller, president of LVHN’s Northampton region and senior vice president of Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence.
“We want to do it because we believe in it and there are better outcomes from a clinical standpoint, as well as from a value standpoint.”
The da Vinci 5 surgical system is manufactured by Intuitive, which described it as its “most advanced surgical system, designed to transform surgery to enable better patient outcomes, efficiency and insights, and, as a result, help lower the total cost of care.”
Robotics often are used in delicate and complex procedures that may be difficult or impossible with other methods, according to the Mayo Clinic.
They also are minimally invasive, so the risk of infection at the surgical site is lower.
'The better you become'
The new system uses technology called Force Feedback that helps the person performing the surgery sense and measure the force being placed on tissue during the procedure.
“Force feedback is a first of its kind technology," Intuitive Chief Medical Officer Dr. Myrian J. Curet said. "Preclinical trials showed up to 43% less force on tissue. That translates to gentler surgery for patients.”
The equipment also is designed to be more comfortable for the surgeon to operate — even those who are performing surgery while pregnant.
“The more procedures you do, the better robotic surgeon you become, and robotic procedures result in less pain, less blood loss and get you back to being you in less time.”Dr. Michael Pasquale, Physician in Chief, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence
Surgeons are said to be able to see and feel more while using the technology.
“The system features a redesigned console capable of customizable positioning, allowing surgeons to find their best fit for surgical viewing and comfort," the company stated.
"Surgeons can make any necessary adjustments while their head is in the console."
With the technology in place, the Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence now offers 17 da Vinci robotic surgical systems across 15 specialties.
“The high number of robotic surgeries we provide means LVHN has the experience to care for you should you need surgical care,” said Dr. Michael Pasquale, physician in chief at Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence.
“The more procedures you do, the better robotic surgeon you become, and robotic procedures result in less pain, less blood loss and get you back to being you in less time.”
LVHN said it just surpassed 35,000 robotic procedures at the end of 2023 and plans to surpass 50,000 by 2025.
