Robotic Surgery At Newark Hospital Is Cutting Edge – Literally

NEWARK, NJ — When it comes to robot-assisted surgery, University Hospital in Newark is on the cutting edge of the game – literally.

The state’s only public hospital recently announced that it has acquired a pair of new, da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery systems. The busy medical center is one of only three acute care hospitals in New Jersey with both the da Vinci Xi and da Vinci SP robotic surgery units, and the only hospital in Essex County to offer both platforms.

“The major advantage of this state-of-the-art technology is that it helps our patients avoid more invasive procedures, allowing them to recover faster and spend less time in the hospital,” said Dylan Roden, chair of the hospital’s robotics committee.

Here’s how the new equipment will be put to use at University Hospital, spokespeople said:

“University Hospital will be able to use its new da Vinci Xi surgical robot for procedures such as hysterectomies, liver and kidney surgeries, cardiothoracic procedures, colon resections, splenectomies hernias, and bariatric (weight loss) surgeries, among others. A second robot, da Vinci SP, will be used for ear, nose and throat (ENT) and urology procedures. This includes transoral robotic surgery (TORS) which is used primarily to remove human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancers.”

With the new technology, University Hospital is set to increase its capacity to serve nearly 250 patients in need of these services each year. As of late December, there are 14 surgeons at the hospital who have undergone the extensive training and certification needed to perform robotic surgical procedures, administrators said.

But once a surgeon gets up to speed, the new technology can take their skills to the next level. According to hospital spokespeople:

“The da Vinci robot’s 'hands' have a high degree of dexterity and range of motion, allowing surgeons the ability to operate in very tight spaces in the body that would otherwise only be accessible through a much larger incision during open surgery. When performing robotic surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System, the surgeon works from a separate console adjacent to the operating table. From the console, the surgeon is able to control miniaturized instruments mounted on three robotic arms to perform the procedure. The surgeon’s view is achieved through a 3-D camera attached to a fourth robotic arm, magnifying the surgical site. The surgeon’s hand, wrist and finger movements are transmitted from the console to the instruments attached to the robot’s arms.”

Ultimately, patients will see a big payoff from the new technology, administrators said. Benefits include smaller incisions and reduced risk of infection, shorter hospitalization, reduced pain and discomfort, faster recovery time and return to normal activities, minimal scarring and reduced blood loss.

“As a public hospital that serves a vulnerable community, we realize the importance of offering top-of-the-line medical technologies to our community,” said Shereef Elnahal, president and CEO of University Hospital.

“The playing field has leveled now that we have more advanced surgical technologies,” Elnahal added.

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