100th daVinci Case

Just over a year ago, in July 2008, The Medical Center of Aurora (TMCA) implemented one aspect of our minimally invasive surgery strategy with the da Vinci robotics program.  TMCA, now elite in the program, is one of just a few hospitals with all four service lines participating:

Cardiovascular, minimally invasive valve procedures performed by Dr. Nene

• General Surgery, nissen fundoplications and low anterior resections performed by Dr. Rowland
• Gynecological Surgery, hysterectomies performed by Dr. Andrews, Dr Kopelman, Dr. Gavigan, Dr. Saunders and Dr. Tate
• Urology, prostatectomies and kidney procedures performed by Dr. Glass, Dr. Sarram and Dr. Sorce)

Physicians note the myriad of benefits the da Vinci offers patients both during surgery and during their recovery.

"The biggest difference I see when using the da Vinci is when I round on my patients the next day.  They just do so much better and I am amazed at how little pain they have!  I like the daVinci because it allows me to deliver a much more precise surgery and the patients have less blood loss, less risk of infection and overall a quicker recovery, " said Dr. Tate.

Such favorable outcomes for our patients emphasize our commitment to high quality care, a commitment that outweighs the cost of the da Vinci technology itself. 

"We started the da Vinci program knowing our reimbursement with such an expensive technology investment would not be a driving factor to justify the expense.  But the patient outcomes related to minimal blood loss, decreased pain and shorter LOS really showcase the success of the program", according to Julie Martin, Asst. Vice President of Surgical Services.