When robotics was first applied to surgery, It was being developed with the hope that it will aid surgeons in the battlefield. Thus, allowing them to operate remotely in dangerous environments. While these developments have not quite yet come to fruition, the advancements that have been made are now seen in hospitals across the nation for use on civilians. Northern Westchester Hospital now has two such devices, the da Vinci® Surgical System.
We sat down with Dr. Warren Bromberg, the Chief of the Urology Division and Co-Director for the Institute for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital; and asked him more about the Vinci® Surgical System.
We asked Dr. Bromberg about the uses of the da Vinci robot. “We got our first machine more than five years ago, and it was one of the first in the area. Initially, I and other urologists used robotic surgery primarily for prostate cancer surgery,” Says Bromberg. “The small incisions and 3D magnification meant less scarring, better visualization of important nerves, and a quicker recovery. Then we realized that we could do many other types of da Vinci surgery with less trauma for the patients.”
Find out what's happening in Chappaqua-Mount Kiscofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
We then asked Dr. Bromberg how is this device manipulated to perform surgery. “With robotic surgery, the surgeon sits at a console not unlike a video game, operating several mechanical arms. Through keyhole incisions, the surgeon is able to direct the use of tiny instruments that can cut, clamp, and suture” states Dr. Bromberg. “A high-definition 3D-camera affords the surgeon an excellent, up-close view of the surgical site.”
Northern Westchester Hospital has been ranked as one of the best hospitals in New York for 2013-2014 by U.S. News & World Report with special recognition in Urology as well as four other specialties.
