Guided By Surgeons, Powered By Robots
With benefits that range from smaller incisions to help reduce scarring, to a reduced need for narcotic pain medicines post-op, the da Vinci surgical system is set to change lives in the entire region. Surgeons at Adventist Health St. Helena are using robotic technology to make operations less invasive, meaning shorter recovery time, less pain and fewer of the risks involved with traditional surgeries. The da Vinci surgeon-guided robotic surgical system was 100% donor funded through our St. Helena Hospital Foundation.
Our surgeons
Adventist Health surgeons use the da Vinci robotic surgical system, which translates a specially trained surgeon’s hand movements precisely and with a much greater range of motion than humans can achieve. “The da Vinci Robot’s instruments can move in all different directions, much like a human wrist,” says Charles Wilson, MD, a general surgeon at Adventist Health St. Helena.” This means we can perform operations and suture openings in tight spaces and perform complex operations much more easily than traditional open or laparoscopic surgeries.”
Safe and effective
Robotic surgery may seem like a new trend in the surgical world, but surgeons have been performing minimally invasive procedures with this technology for decades. “The da Vinci robot is a tool used by highly trained surgeons who are in complete control at all times,” Dr. Wilson says. “The robot doesn’t move unless we tell it to move. It’s a safe and effective tool in the hands of a skilled surgeon.”
Patient benefits of da Vinci surgery:
- A shorter hospital stay
- Less blood loss
- Fewer complications
- Less need for narcotic pain medicine
- A faster recovery
- Smaller incisions associated with minimal scarring
Our da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery service lines include:
- General surgery
- Gynecologic surgery
- Urologic surgery
- Cardiac and cardiothoracic surgery coming soon
Charles Wilson, MD
Charles Wilson, MD, FACS, is a general surgeon and the physician champion of the da Vinci surgical system at Adventist Health St. Helena. With more than 10 years of experience, Dr. Wilson is excited to bring this innovative technology to St. Helena.
“A person recovering from surgery performed with the da Vinci robot can return to normal activity earlier than someone recovering from open surgery and we don’t tend to need to prescribe narcotics for postoperative pain,” Dr. Wilson says. “It’s all about the patient’s experience, and with the da Vinci robot, people have better long-term outcomes.”
Learn more
Visit St. Helena Surgical Services to learn more about how our surgeons can help you recover faster. Learn more about the patient benefits of da Vinci surgery and if it is the right fit for you.
