Hoag’s robotic-assisted surgery program turned 20 this year, shortly after my colleagues completed Hoag’s 30,000th robotic-assisted surgery. Hoag was the first hospital in Orange County to adopt robotic surgery, and we are one of only a few medical centers in California to cross this 30,000-procedure threshold.
Why is this important?
When we brought the first da Vinci Robotic System to Orange County in 2004, the innovative technology was a promising tool that few had ever seen. We quickly learned that robotic surgery has the potential to out-perform traditional open surgery in terms of reduction of post operative pain, hospital stay, recovery time, blood loss and risk of complications.
True to Hoag’s philosophy of patient-centric care and our spirit of innovation, every discipline in the hospital wanted to use it.
Hoag first began using the robotic technology in urologic surgeries. Then Hoag’s gynecology and gynecologic oncology services used the da Vinci robots to safely and effectively treat a variety of female reproductive organ conditions.
General surgeons and gastroenterology/GI surgeons immediately began incorporating the robotic technology for gallbladder, hernia, colon and bariatric surgery. And the Jeffery M. Carlton Heart & Vascular Institute has used the da Vinci and other robotic technologies to complete complex cardiac, vascular and lung surgeries.
Soon after launching our robotics program, we were able to expand not only what we did but whom we helped: people whose conditions, overall health or age made standard surgery too risky can now undergo robotic-assisted, minimally invasive procedures.