New DMH Center For Minimally Invasive Surgery Changes The Experience Of Surgical Procedures

January 26, 2007
For More Information Contact: Mike Cassell, Marketing Director, 876-3232

A new center of excellence has emerged at Decatur Memorial Hospital featuring advanced technology combined with a team of multidisciplinary surgical specialists to bring central Illinois residents a new option for surgical procedures.

The new DMH Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery provides an innovative approach to surgical procedures including—gallbladder removal, colon resection, neurosurgery, hysterectomy, chest surgery, kidney surgery, sinonasal surgery, lung resections, orthopaedic surgery, thyroid/parathyroid surgery and removal of uterine growths.

Minimally invasive surgery offers an alternative to traditional invasive surgery by entering the body with the smallest incision possible. The benefits of minimally invasive surgery can include: reduced blood loss, reduced post-operative pain, lower rate of complication, faster recovery time, smaller incisions and scars and a faster return to daily activities.

“One of the features of the new center is the daVinci® Robotic Surgical System,” said Ken Smithmier, DMH President & CEO. “This groundbreaking robotic surgery system offers surgeons the capability to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures with unmatched precision.”

The daVinci System was first used at DMH on Jan. 22 to remove the gallbladder of Decatur resident Ryan Chandler, 31. General Surgeon Steven Weber, M.D., performed the minimally invasive procedure on Monday, and Chandler went home from the hospital that evening with four tiny incisions.

“This state-of-the art robotic technology is an extension of my hands,” said Dr. Weber. “When I’m using the daVinci® System, it requires that each surgical maneuver has direct input from me. It can’t be programmed nor can it make decisions on its own.”

The daVinci® System allows the surgeon’s hand movements to be scaled, filtered and translated into precise movements of micro-instruments within the operative site. Dr. Weber is one of a growing number of surgeons worldwide who is successfully trained in providing leading-edge minimally invasive surgery using the daVinci® System.

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