Robot Performs Surgery For 1st Time At Cherry Hill Hospital

CHERRY HILL, NJ — For the first time in the facility's history, a robot performed surgery at Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital.

Meet da Vinci Xi, a robot that helps hospitals conduct minimally invasive surgeries. On Wednesday, da Vinci helped Jefferson Health's surgical team perform a cholecystectomy — a procedure to remove the gallbladder — on a South Jersey patient.

Da Vinci robots are used for a variety of procedures, including gynecologic, urologic and general surgery, according to Jefferson Health. The robot's four "arms" offer greater flexibility than human hands, while its high-definition 3D camera improves visibility.

The surgeon operates it through hand and foot controls at a console.

Da Vinci robots have been in use for decades, and da Vinci Xi is one of the latest versions from Intuit Surgical — the biotech company that produces the machines.

A da Vinci robot is now available for use at Jefferson's hospitals in Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township, along with Jefferson's outpatient surgery center in Washington Township.