New surgical robot helps patients recover faster

Reporter: Amy Oshier
Published: Updated:

Robot-assisted surgeries are transforming the operating room by turning major operations into smaller, less invasive procedures.

Physicians Regional Healthcare System recently acquired a new robot designed for brain and spine surgeries, marking a significant advancement in medical technology in Collier County.

David Smith, a spine surgery patient, experienced the benefits of this technology firsthand. Smith had been suffering from severe back problems that affected his quality of life.

“I had to buy a cane. I could no longer put pressure on this leg, on my left leg, and it was excruciating,” he said.

Faced with the prospect of a major operation, Smith opted for a robotic procedure using the first neuro-spine robot in the county.

Dr. Amanda Sacino, a neurosurgeon at Physicians Regional Healthcare System, explained how the robot works.

“There’s the actual robot, which is this right here. Then there’s part of the navigation system here. We call it the eyes,” she said.

The Excelsius robot is unique, as it is used for both spine and brain surgeries. It features a single arm through which tools are inserted into the body, paired with a high-power vision system that allows doctors to operate in small spaces.

“It helps us to be more accurate if we have to place hardware into the body,” Dr. Sacino said. “It also helps us to be more accurate through the use of navigation if we have to make different cuts in the bone, to say, take out arthritic tissue or to remove a tumor or to help with a fracture in the spine.”

Smith’s condition involved a crooked spine and arthritis pressing on his nerves, requiring cutting and bracing. The robotic procedure offered a less traumatic option, particularly beneficial for older patients.

“Because it’s a smaller surgery that we’re doing for them, so it’s less taxing on the body, and, also, it’s less pain-causing, and it also helps them to recover quickly after surgery,” Dr. Sacino added.

Smith went home the morning after his surgery.

“Had no pain from the time I woke up after surgery to this day. I have no pain, and I’m up to walking a mile and a half a day now,” Smith said.

The same robot is also used in brain surgeries, and it is capable of performing biopsies, deep brain stimulation and shunt procedures.

This advancement in robotic technology continues to enhance patient outcomes and recovery times.

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