Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Announces Arrival of New Robotic Surgical System

October 23, 2015

Technology can provide better outcomes, quicker recovery

Cheyenne, WY—Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) will be showcasing its new da Vinci Xi® Surgical System at an open house for the community on October 28, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., in the hospital’s main lobby, located at 214 East 23rd St.

“Our community is invited to stop by and see the new robotic system in action,” said Tana Carpenter, CRMC’s director of perioperative services. “Demonstrations will highlight how the system works and the kinds of procedures it will be used for.”

CRMC recently purchased the new robotic surgical system for about $1.9 million as part of its focus on offering state-of-the art, minimally invasive options for patients undergoing surgery at CRMC.

The da Vinci Xi is the second robotic surgical system to be purchased by CRMC in the last year. The first system, known as MAKOplasty®, has been in use since May to perform partial knee and total hip replacements.

“More and more, patients are asking for a surgical experience that is the least disruptive to their everyday lives,” said Dr. James Lugg, who is in practice at Cheyenne Urological, PC.

“Having a robotic system like this available at Cheyenne Regional means that the hospital can offer more patients the benefits of a surgery that is less invasive and often results in fewer complications and quicker recovery times,” Dr. Lugg said.

Cheyenne Regional is the first hospital in Wyoming to offer the da Vinci Xi system, the fourth generation and the newest and most advanced of the da Vinci products.

“It has in it over 20 years of learning how to enhance surgical performance by creating a natural extension of the surgeons’ eyes and their hands,” said Gary Guthart, Intuitive Surgical®, Inc., president and chief executive officer. Intuitive Surgical develops and manufactures the da Vinci system.

Dr. Lugg will be using the da Vinci Xi to operate on urologic conditions that require surgery, including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer and kidney disorders.

The new system can be also be used for gynecology, cardiac, thoracic and general surgeries.

The da Vinci system has been used to perform surgeries on about 2.5 million patients worldwide over the past decade.

With this system, the surgeon operates through a few small incisions, similar to traditional laparoscopy.

“The result is that many patients can get back to their lives without the lengthy recovery that follows major surgery,” Dr. Lugg said.

The da Vinci Xi also features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and tiny instruments that can bend and rotate to a much greater degree than the human wrist can.

“Together, the da Vinci system and the doctor work in partnership,” Dr. Lugg said. “The da Vinci translates the surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, more precise movements directing small surgical instruments inside the patient’s body. The result is that the da Vinci enables the surgeon to operate with enhanced vision, precision and control.”

“The da Vinci has a solid track record of good outcomes, which is what you want with a new piece of advanced technology,” Dr. Lugg added.

“Other hospitals using this system have seen substantial benefits for patients, including improved surgical outcomes by increasing surgical precision and safety,” Carpenter said.

Improved physician recruitment should be another benefit of having the da Vinci system at CRMC.

“Most surgical residents are trained using robotic technology,” Dr. Lugg said. “It’s extremely important that we have this kind of advanced technology available if we want to be competitive in recruiting new physicians and surgeons to this area.”

The da Vinci Xi system will be available for surgeries at CRMC in mid-November.

To access an informational video about the da Vinci Xi® Surgical System, go to: 
http://www.intuitivesurgical.com/products/da-vinci-xi/