New Robotic Surgeons Coming To Major South Jersey Hospital Network

SOUTH JERSEY — The robot overlords haven't taken over just yet, but a major South Jersey health care provider says you're in good hands with its new mechanical fleet.

Virtua Health says it will become the first health system on the East Coast and the second nationally to make a large-scale transition to da Vinci 5 — the latest version of da Vinci robotic technology that assists with surgeries.

A real surgeon still performs the operation. But with da Vinci systems, they typically sit at a console and control the robot.

Virtua was an early adopter of robotic surgery, performing more than 43,000 robotic-assisted operations since 2006. The health network currently has 19 operating rooms that use da Vinci technology, but Virtua expects to complete the transition to da Vinci 5 at all five of its hospitals by early June.

The health care provider has more than 60 surgeons trained in the da Vinci system.

"Every advancement helps us do our jobs even better, so we can provide the best possible results for our patients," Dr. Craig Zaretsky, chair of Virtua's Department of Surgery. "As technology continually evolves, we’re committed to embracing and implementing these life-changing developments."

At the surgery table, the robots can make smaller incisions and perform with greater precision than their human counterparts, according to Virtua. This often leads to faster recovery, less pain after surgery and few complications, the health network says.

They also contain 3D image displays, which give surgeons better vision than the naked eye.

Intuitive, a Silicon Valley-based biotech company, has developed robotic surgeons for decades. Its latest creation, da Vinci 5, has better precision and smoother 3D displays that the prior versions, the company says.

Da Vinci 5 also has "first-of-its-kind" force-sensing technology that measures subtle forces exerted into tissue during surgery, Intuitive says.

The system can aid a range of soft-tissue surgeries, including hernia repairs, lung and other thoracic procedures, weight-loss surgery, and urologic, gynecologic, and colorectal operations, Virtua says.

Virtua has hospitals in Marlton, Mount Holly, Camden, Voorhees and Willingboro.

For more information, visit Virtua.org/RoboticSurgery or call 888-847-8823.