HealthyLiving

Robotic Surgery in St. Charles County

By Dr. Kenneth Hacker

While it may sound futuristic, robotic surgery is a cutting-edge technology already being used today. Performed by specially trained surgeons, it can provide patients with an easier and quicker recovery. Learn more about robotic surgery and its many benefits from general surgeon Kenneth Hacker, MD, FACS. What is robotic surgery?

Robotic surgery is an approach to surgery in which robotic-assisted technology provides surgeons with greater precision and control. For the last 30 years, laparoscopy has been a common surgical method, but it comes with instrumentation limitations. Robotic surgery takes it to a new level, and advancements continue to be made.

The da Vinci Surgical System, in use at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, is equipped with 3D magnified cameras. The surgeon makes several small incisions to place these cameras inside the body. This provides them with greater visibility during the procedure. Several other small incisions are made to insert the instruments that are used to perform the surgery. The robotic instruments are much more advanced than standard laparoscopic instruments, giving the surgeon the ability to flex or bend them, almost like one would do with their wrist and fingers. The ability to manipulate or maneuver instruments more freely is critical for more delicate surgeries. How does robotic surgery benefit patients?

Traditional surgical approaches use open incisions that are typically much larger. This equates to a longer length of stay in the hospital, a higher complication rate and more pain and discomfort. Conversely, robotic surgery is minimally invasive with significantly smaller incisions. This reduces recovery times and the risk of complications, with patients enjoying much less discomfort. What types of surgery are performed using robotics?

This advanced technology allows for more complex surgical treatments of many diseases and conditions. It is commonly used for many different types of abdominal surgeries, including hernia surgery, colon surgery, gallbladder surgery and kidney surgery. Even hysterectomies and lung surgeries are being performed with the aid of robotics.

Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital is the first and only in St. Charles County to offer robotic-assisted surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System. Since its arrival, the team has performed well over 100 cases with great results and outcomes. Numerous other BJC facilities also offer this technology across the St. Louis region.

Kenneth Hacker, MD, FACS, is a general surgeon with Benrus Surgical Associates at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit BJCStCharlesCounty.org or call 636-928-WELL.

American Heart Association Gives St. Charles County paramedics high marks for cardiac care

St. Charles County Ambulance District (SCCAD) paramedics once again earned Gold Plus status in the American Heart Association’s annual Mission: Lifeline program, which recognizes EMS agencies for their implementation of quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

Each year, more than 250,000 individuals experience a ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it is critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, a significant number of these patients don’t receive this prompt attention.

The correct tools, training and practices allow SCCAD paramedics to rapidly these patients and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel. Agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Gold award demonstrated compliance for each of four required achievement measures. The ‘Plus’ distinction reflects that paramedics are consistently performing a 12lead ECG on patients within 10 minutes on chest pain calls. 2020 marks SCCAD’s second Gold Plus honor, and its seventh overall Mission: Lifeline recognition.

“SCCAD paramedics play a vital part in the system of care for those who have heart attacks in our community,” said SCCAD Medical Director Dr. Leo Hsu. “As the first medical point of contact, they perform life-saving interventions and shave precious minutes of treatment time off by activating the emergency response system that alerts hospitals.”

SCCAD paramedics and leadership staff are elated to be recognized at this high level, but are quick to highlight that it is their collaborative relationships with area hospitals that make it possible.

“We work collaboratively with our partners at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters, Progress West, SSM Health St. Jo-

seph Hospital St. Charles and SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital Lake St. Louis to develop protocols with the goal of improving the quality of care for STEMI patients,” said John Romeo, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for SCCAD.

Cardiac care has been areas of focus for SCCAD in recent years; in 2015, the District was the first in the region to debut cardio-cerebral resuscitation (CCR) – an innovative approach to cardiac arrest management that saw a significant increase in survival to hospital discharge rates.