CVPH Medical Center is one of slightly more than 500 first-class health care facilities in this country to offer the da Vinci Surgical System, a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. At CVPH, the da Vinci Surgical System is used by members of the medical staff specializing in urology, gynecology and general surgery.

The da Vinci Surgical System is powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology. It allows your surgeon's hand movements to be scaled, filtered and translated into precise movements of micro-instruments within the operative site.

The da Vinci System enhances surgical capabilities by enabling the performance of complex surgeries through tiny surgical openings. The system cannot be programmed nor can it make decisions on its own. The da Vinci System requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from your surgeon.

For the patient, a da Vinci procedure can offer all the potential benefits of a minimally invasive procedure, including less pain, less blood loss and less need for blood transfusions. Moreover, the da Vinci System can enable a shorter hospital stay, a quicker recovery and faster return to normal daily activities. Clinical studies also suggest that the da Vinci System may help surgeons provide better clinical outcomes than conventional technologies allow  for example, better cancer control and a lower incidence of impotence and incontinence with da Vinci Prostatectomy. 

The da Vinci System's high-resolution 3D stereo viewer is designed to provide surgeons with an immersive experience. Unlike conventional approaches, the target anatomy appears at high magnification, in brilliant color and with natural depth of field. To perform a procedure, the surgeon uses the console's master controls to maneuver the patient-side cart's four robotic arms, which securely hold the patented EndoWrist instruments and high-resolution endoscopic camera. The EndoWrist instruments' jointed-wrist design exceeds the natural range of motion of the human hand; motion scaling and tremor reduction further interpret and refine the surgeon's hand movements. A final hallmark of the da Vinci System is its fail-safe design, incorporating multiple, redundant safety features designed to minimize opportunities for human error when compared with traditional approaches.

The da Vinci System is a remarkable improvement over conventional laparoscopy, in which the surgeon operates while standing, using hand-held, long-shafted instruments, which have no wrists. With conventional laparoscopy, the surgeon must look up and away from the instruments, to a nearby 2D video monitor to see an image of the target anatomy. The surgeon must also rely on his/her patient-side assistant to position the camera correctly. In contrast, the da Vinci System's ergonomic design allows the surgeon to operate from a comfortable, seated position at the console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments. To move the instruments or to reposition the camera, the surgeon simply moves his/her hands.

By providing surgeons with superior visualization, enhanced dexterity, greater precision and ergonomic comfort, the da Vinci Surgical System makes it possible for more surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures involving complex dissection or reconstruction. This ultimately raises the standard of care for complex surgeries, translating into numerous potential patient benefits.