The Da Vinci robots used by Mercy, Cox, and other area hospitals exponentially improve certain types of surgery. Now, phosphorescent illumination techniques make surgeries even more precise.
At Mercy Hospital, a surgery team prepared. A cancer patient for a type of surgery that wouldn't have been possible twenty years ago.
Dr. Jay Carlson finished readying a patient for the procedure. He would later remove a cancerous uterus and several lymph nodes for further diagnosis. He said tools like the Da Vinci robot allow him to cut more precisely than a human hand.
"When you're pushing on tissue you can appreciate whether it's soft or hard," Carlson said. "The other senses such as your sight helps to pick up for that haptic sensation."
The Da Vinci allows Carlson to operate via remote control with the aid of high definition three dimensional cameras that allow him to view exact depth perception.
"It goes exponentially faster and has a quicker recovery post operative," he said, "because of the 3D visualization there is less risk in my opinion."
A new feature of the Da Vinci can even highlight the tiny organs he needs to remove. It can cut, grab and even cauterize.
"For what we do this achieves great cancer control," Carlson said, "that is as good or better than the alternatives that are nonsurgical."
Dr. Daniel Pinheiro, an ear, nose and throat specialist, said robots like Da Vinci improve operations wherever it's possible to insert its tiny tools.
"If you can see the tumor and expose it than you can do the operation," he said. "The limits of this have to do with exposing the area so you can see."
It comes with a one point five million dollar price tag, but doctors say it actually saves patients money.
"It's just improved outcome and faster return to work it also saves recovery time," Carlson said.
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