The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) began hosting colorectal surgeons to demonstrate robotic surgery in action as one of 15 designated da Vinci Observation Epicenters nationwide. UAMS is the only hospital in Arkansas designated as an Epicenter.
The da Vinci Surgical System is used in more than 1,500 hospitals in the United States. Intuitive Surgical, the company that makes it, recently established the epicenters to provide surgeons who are new to the technology a daylong opportunity to observe and consult with skilled practitioners to learn techniques and best practices. Additional training follows.
According to Intuitive Surgical, a case observation center is “a hospital that leads by example, demonstrating the highest quality of care, efficiency, and outcomes using Intuitive technologies while hosting surgeons across the United States.”
In the fall, UAMS became the only hospital in Arkansas to acquire the Ion Endoluminal Robotic Bronchoscopy System, also made by Intuitive, which allows doctors to discover and biopsy previously undetectable nodules in the farthest reaches of the lungs, where about 70% of nodules reside.