Health care system acquired first da Vinci robot in 2006
“The Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) has completed more than 20,000 robotic-assisted surgeries using the groundbreaking da Vinci surgical system,” SMH announced on Dec. 3.
“SMH, which participated in early clinical trials of robotic technology, was the first hospital in Florida — and among the first in the world — to acquire Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci S robot when it first became commercially available in 2006,” a news release explains. “Over two decades, the company has worked with SMH” and pioneering robotic surgeons at other medical centers “to steadily advance and expand the technology, and provide unparalleled precision, dexterity and control in minimally invasive surgical procedures,” the release points out.
“The Sarasota County Public Hospital Board purchased its first robotic system for $1.4 million, with support from the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, to ensure local physicians and patients had access to advanced technology and treatments that were available only in a few of the nation’s top academic medical centers,” the release adds. “Since introducing the first robot, SMH has expanded its robotic capabilities with more than 35 robotic surgeons using the latest da Vinci robotic systems across its two hospital campuses,” in Sarasota and Venice, the release notes.
Today, the release continues, SMH’s robotic toolbox includes two da Vinci 5 robots — “Intuitive’s fifth-generation and most advanced system”; the da Vinci single port system, “uniquely designed for single-incision or natural orifice surgery; four Xi robots, multi-port systems optimized for cancer and highly complex procedures; and two Xi robots in the Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute’s simulation and training labs.”
“This major milestone reflects the innovation of our surgical teams and SMH’s long-standing commitment to bringing the most advanced care to our community,” said Dr. James Fiorica, chief medical officer of the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, in the release. “Robotic-assisted surgery helps many patients recover faster and return to their lives sooner, and we are proud of the pioneering advances of our robotic surgeons and surgical team,” he added.
“SMH’s robotic surgical team is using the da Vinci systems “across multiple specialties, including general surgery, gynecology and gynecologic oncology, thoracic surgery, urology, and ENT [ear, nose and throat care],” the release points out.