Prisma Health Tuomey adds robotic-assisted surgical tech

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Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital has added robotic-assisted surgical technology to its arsenal of tools to assist patients. The Prisma Health Tuomey Foundation funded the project, allowing the hospital to purchase the $2 million daVinci Xi 3D surgical system. Surgeons at the hospital recently performed the first robotic-assisted surgeries in Sumter.

The system allows surgeons to see beyond the capabilities of the human eye and perform procedures that can be done laparoscopically with even greater dexterity. The system gives surgeons an advanced set of instruments that translate their hand movements at the console in real time, bending and rotating the instruments while performing the procedure.

"This technology is second to none in the field of minimally invasive surgery, and we could not be more thrilled to have it here in Sumter," said Dr. Adam Przybyla, M.D., a general surgeon with Sumter Surgical. "It's an incredible tool that acts as an extension of the surgeon's hand within the patient's body. The system provides incredible visualization through a three-dimensional, high-definition camera and advanced technology that magnifies the anatomy and tissue planes and allows us to see beyond the capabilities of the human eye."

Candidates for minimally invasive surgeries - such as gallbladder removal, hernia repair, small bowel and colon surgeries, certain OB/GYN surgeries and urology procedures - now have an option that Sumter surgeons think will offer excellent outcomes with smaller incisions, quicker recovery and less pain. Not all patients are candidates for this technology.

Przybyla added, "We have provided excellent surgical care with open and laparoscopic techniques for decades and will continue to do so. The robotics give us another option to offer our patients who are candidates for minimally invasive surgery, with what we feel will be excellent outcomes."

The first surgeries in Sumter with the new equipment were hernia repair and gallbladder removal. More advanced cases will include colectomies, surgical procedures to remove all or part of your colon, and complex abdominal incisional hernias, both areas that will provide the biggest benefit to patients with reduced post-operative pain and shorter hospital stays.

Hospitals across the Prisma Health system use robotic-assisted surgical equipment across many platforms. Prisma Health-Upstate hospitals, for example, utilize the daVinci robotic system in urology, thoracic oncology, colorectal, GI oncology and Ear, Nose and Throat. Their Minimally Invasive Surgery Service is a national training site for Intuitive for hernia procedures on the robot. Prisma Health-Midlands hospitals utilize the daVinci system for the same surgeries as the Upstate as well as pediatrics and bariatric services.

To learn if you are a candidate for robotic-assisted surgery, contact Sumter Surgical at (803) 775-1550.