The next time you get wheeled in for surgery in Denver a robot may be performing some surgical procedures on you. Robotic surgery is no longer what you read about in science fiction stories but a daily fact for the Porter Adventist Hospital situated in Denver. The hospital has been building a comprehensive team of surgeons and staff who are well equipped to usher in the age of robotic surgery.
The newly-formed Porter Robotics Institute at the Denver hospital is bringing a number of specialties and surgical choice to patients in the area. Dr. Marklyn Jones, medical director of the institute said that they hoped to bring a robotic ‘Center of Excellence’ to the Rocky Mountain region, where their patients will have not only the best surgeons available in the region, but also the best system.
The advantages of robotic surgery have been propounded for both the patients and the doctors involved. There are smaller incisions, less blood loss, reduced pain, minimal risk of infection and a shorter recovery period associated with robotic assisted surgery. For the surgeon as well there are advantages of working more precisely using 3D capabilities and with less strenuous movements.
Robotic procedures have been undertaken during surgery at the hospital for years but now the future focus is on bringing in physicians from different disciplines together so that the patient can reap the ultimate benefit of a well rounded treatment.