Milestone da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery Performed at Wesley Medical Center: 1,000th Minimally Invasive Surgery Completed

2/28/2013

Hattiesburg, MS – This week, da Vinci Masters Level surgeon Dr. Joseph Washburne completed the 1000th da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery to be performed at Wesley Medical Center. Reaching this milestone makes Wesley’s the most experienced da Vinci surgical program in south Mississippi.

“Every da Vinci surgery is exciting because the technology is truly incredible, but breaking the 1,000 mark is a remarkable thing,” said Dr. Washburne. “I believe da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery offers the best possible clinical outcomes, so the expansion of the robotics program to this level is a very good thing for patients.”

Dr. Washburne, an OB/GYN with Women’s Pavilion of South Mississippi, earned the Masters Level da Vinci surgical skill designation in 2011 and has performed nearly 250 robotic-assisted surgeries using the da Vinci surgical system. The 1,000th da Vinci surgery was a minimally invasive hysterectomy procedure, performed using only a few incisions less than one inch long. The small incisions often result in significantly less pain and scarring as compared to other surgical techniques.

“With robotics, patients have very little pain compared to traditional laparoscopy,” said Washburne. “There is no comparison to an abdominal hysterectomy.”

Da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery often results in notably better clinical outcomes. Other benefits for patients may include significantly less pain, less blood loss, less scarring and a shorter recovery time.

Wesley Medical Center introduced da Vinci surgery to the Pine Belt in 2007 and remains committed to being the leader in robotic-assisted surgery for the area. In 2011, their upgrade to the newest da Vinci Si Surgical System enabled physicians to take a minimally invasive approach for even more complex surgical procedures and made single-incision surgery an option for specially trained physicians. In 2012, the first single-incision gall bladder removal surgery in south Mississippi was performed at Wesley. Dr. Wesley Girod, a general surgeon with Southern Surgery and Urology Center, completed the surgery using only a single, inch-long incision camouflaged by the belly button. Dr. Girod has performed more than 80 surgeries using da Vinci robotic-assisted technology. Wesley Medical Center is one of only a small percentage of hospitals nationwide to offer single-incision da Vinci surgery.

The da Vinci Si Surgical System integrates robotic technology to virtually extend the surgeon’s eyes and hands. Using the system, the surgeon operates while seated at a console viewing a 3-D image of the surgical area. The system mimics the surgeon’s hand movements in real time, on a smaller scale, within the operating site in the patient’s body. Wesley Medical Center’s team of da Vinci Si Surgical System trained physicians includes Dr. Andrea Carter, Dr. Lee Drake, Dr. Joel Flynt, Dr. Wesley Girod, Dr. Charles Moore, Dr. Bill Pace and Dr. Joseph Washburne. No other da Vinci surgical team in south Mississippi is as experienced as the surgeons at Wesley Medical Center.

“Patients are traveling great distances to take advantage of the minimally invasive da Vinci surgical options at Wesley and providing 1,000 patients the benefits of such a dramatically different surgical experience is something we’re very proud to have accomplished,” said Mike Neuendorf, CEO for Wesley Medical Center. “Da Vinci technology means that we’re able to meet our ultimate goal of getting patients returned to health and back to their lives faster.”

Wesley Medical Center is committed to providing superior care to the Pine Belt and has been recognized for patient safety and top performance on key quality measures. The da Vinci minimally invasive surgical program at Wesley is one of the fastest growing in the state. For more information, call 601-268-8000 or visit Wesley.com.

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