Surgery Redefined: The Remarkable da Vinci Robotic Surgical System at Aspen Valley Hospital

The latest addition to Aspen Valley Hospital is a da Vinci, and it’s creating a lot of buzz. It’s not a priceless painting or an artifact of 15th Century sculptor, painter, scientist, architect and theorist Leonardo da Vinci. Rather, the Hospital is introducing the state-of-the-art da Vinci robotic surgical system that shares the Italian polymath’s name. 

The da Vinci Xi made its debut at AVH last month, performing multiple minimally invasive abdominal surgeries. The robot’s debut officially ushers in a new era of surgical expertise at the Hospital. And this is just the beginning. There are plans to expand da Vinci’s capabilities to include OB/GYN and urology patient surgeries into the future. 

Why is this such a big deal? As a proven surgical technology, da Vinci robotic systems have improved patient outcomes. Additionally, it improves the ability of surgeons to perform complicated and delicate procedures that previously required open surgery. 

Patients experience the benefits right away. Surgical procedures that utilize a da Vinci system result in fewer complications and less pain versus previous methods. Those improved outcomes are a result of surgeons gaining improved visualization, accuracy and mobility in the area where they are operating. 

“Robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci system is the new gold standard for abdominal and other surgical procedures.”

— Dr. Chris Roseberry, FACS

“Adding the da Vinci system is a big and exciting step for Aspen Valley Hospital because we can now offer the best possible surgical experience,” says Dr. Chris Roseberry, FACS, Chief of Medical Staff and Trauma Medical Director at Aspen Valley Hospital. “Our patients will get the best surgery available, now that we can offer robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery.” 

Watch the da Vinci Robotic System in Action

AVH: Primed for Adoption

The arrival of the new system is well timed for the Hospital, which has a strong surgical team in Dr. Roseberry and Dr. Les Fraser, FACS. Dr. Fraser also enjoys a reputation as an accomplished trauma and general surgeon.

The long and successful track record of da Vinci systems at hospitals across the country made it easy for Aspen Valley Hospital’s leadership team and the surgical staff to get fully on board with the technology. 

The new system will allow the Hospital to perform surgical procedures with far more accuracy. Also, surgeons can perform complex cases that until now had to be referred to other hospitals, making it easier for patients to receive care near home, family and friends. Da Vinci’s minimally invasive surgical techniques require only small incisions and use superior instrumentation. This results in considerably less trauma to soft tissues than open surgeries, which require a long cut in the stomach, and traditional laparoscopic surgeries, which use instruments and cameras that are not as versatile or precise. 

Improved post-operative outcomes for patients include:  

• Less pain
• Less scarring
• Fewer complications and infections
• Shorter recovery time

“Our patients will experience fewer complications because their surgeon is able to be so facile inside the abdominal cavity,” Dr. Roseberry says. “And it is a quicker operation using robotics, which translates to less pain.”

Inside the Operating Room

Da Vinci’s robotic equipment does not operate autonomously. Nurses and physicians are in the operating room with the patient, and the surgical instruments are directly controlled by the surgeon. 

Your surgeon sits next to the operating table in front of the surgeon console. The console provides a high definition 3D view of your anatomy with two tiny cameras to view the area. The tiny surgical instruments are attached to a tiny “wrist.” It functions like a human wrist, but with a far greater range of motion. This gives the surgeon the mobility needed to position the instruments precisely.

“You have much more versatility in all the things you can do surgically with an additional level of movement,” Dr. Roseberry says.

The patient cart is positioned next to the operating table and contains the instruments used during the operation. The final major component is the vision cart which facilitates communication between da Vinci’s components and provides a screen for the surgical care team to view the operation.

Experience on Staff

Dr. Roseberry has led efforts to introduce da Vinci robotic systems at two hospitals, most recently Aspen Valley Hospital and previously when he was chief of surgery at Exeter Hospital in New Hampshire. The system is new to Aspen Valley Hospital, but not new to Dr. Roseberry. He has performed hundreds of robotic-assisted surgeries using da Vinci systems, and he helped train AVH staff on how to use the new one here. 

State-of-the-art technology. Experienced and well-trained surgeons and staff. Better outcomes and experiences for patients. Welcome, da Vinci.

For more information, visit the Aspen Valley Hospital da Vinci Xi surgical robot information page.