Press Releases

Though robotic surgery assistance has been around for the better part of a decade here, St. Mary Medical Center is pushing the boundaries of innovation in minimally invasive surgeries. We recently implemented the robotic da Vinci Xi Surgical System, the only one in the High Desert.

“This highly advanced surgical equipment has greatly expanded the number of minimally invasive surgeries we are able to perform, including colon, gynecological and urological procedures,” St. Mary Director of Perioperative Services Gordon Reid says. “It’s been a wonderful asset in allowing us to deliver the best overall surgical care possible.”

The da Vinci system provides efficient 3D-HD visualization—enabling the physician to “see” inside the body. The surgeon controls the tool by making hand motions that translate to smaller, more precise movements by the tiny instruments inside the patient’s body.

“I’ve heard from a number of surgeons who are excited about the greater flexibility, visibility and precision the da Vinci Xi has given them,” Reid says.

This system is a tremendous achievement in the advancement of minimally invasive surgeries. Its key features include:

• an overhead instrument arm structure designed to facilitate anatomical access from virtually any position
• a new endoscope digital architecture that creates a simpler, more compact design with improved vision definition and clarity
• an ability to attach the endoscope to any arm, providing flexibility for visualizing the surgical site
• smaller, thinner arms with newly designed joints that offer a greater range of motion
• longer instrument shafts designed to give surgeons greater operative reach

“Surgery is never fun, but this surgical system has helped reduce the recovery time for many different procedures we perform,” St. Mary Chief Executive Randall Castillo says. “The da Vinci Xi has vastly improved our ability to execute minimally invasive surgeries.”

Learn how to support other ground breaking initiatives at St. Mary Medical Center by contacting the foundation at (760) 946-8841.