Robotics Boost Benefits of Single-Incision Gallbladder Surgery

For a skilled general surgeon like Dr. Christopher Johnson, gallbladder surgery is fairly routine.

In fact, for the past four years, Dr. Johnson has been removing patients’ problematic gallbladders through a single incision in the belly button, a procedure that typically results in better recovery time and less pain for his patients than open surgery.

Earlier this year, however, the FDA gave surgeons and their patients even more options when it approved single-site gallbladder surgeries using the da Vinci robotic system. Dr. Johnson, surgical chief at South Lake Hospital, says he and fellow surgeons are excited about the approval because it gives them greater control of the procedure.

“With da Vinci, we have 3-D, high-definition imaging that gives us incredible visibility,” Johnson says. “The images are as good, if not better, than even open surgery.”

Johnson also points out the surgical team’s maneuverability is improved, too. “The instruments are more flexible and integrated, which makes them more effective during the procedure.”

For patients, single-site gallbladder surgery produces significantly less scarring because the entry point is the navel, where there are naturally hidden areas to make an incision. The surgery is minimally invasive, so most patients typically experience a shorter, less-painful recovery.

South Lake Hospital is the only Lake County hospital with the da Vinci surgical system. The hospital’s specially trained surgeons are also using the robotic technology to perform gynecological, urological, and other general surgeries.

“What I am most impressed with is how this technology elevates the level of care and quality we provide our patients,” says Johnson, who served two terms as the hospital’s chief of staff and sits on its Medical Executive Committee. “It’s an important innovation for physicians because it has a direct positive impact on our patients.”

For more info about the da Vinci system at South Lake Hospital, visit www.southlakehospital.com.