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by Jan Tucker, MBa photography by JiM di Modica
da Vinci Robotic Surgery at Community Memorial Hospital Slices Recovery Time & Trauma
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HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF, FACED WITH MAJOR SURGERY, YOUR DOCTOR GAVE YOU THE OPTION OF RETURNING HOME THE DAY AFTER SURGERY RATHER THAN THREE TO FIVE DAYS, WITH SIGNIFICANTLY LESS PAIN, DISCOMFORT AND LOSS OF BLOOD, REDUCED TRAUMA TO YOUR BODY, SMALLER SUTURES AND SCARRING, AND THE PROMISE OF A QUICKER RECOVERY TIME AND RETURN TO YOUR NORMAL ACTIVITIES?
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HE EXCITING NEWS is Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) in Ventura has made this possible for surgery patients. CMH has a reputation for being “the first on the block” to provide patients with the newest in medical technologies, according to Paul D. Silverman, MD, a urologist who, in addition to four other CMH surgeons and urologists, has employed the newest da Vinci robotic surgery to perform major operations during the past four years. The other CMH doctors with da Vinci proficiency are General Surgeons Constanze S. Rayhrer and Gosta W. Iwasiuk, and Urologists Cedric Emery and Marc Beagler. Silverman says CMH’s distinction for adopting technology exceptionally early dates back several decades, including the purchase of the first CAT scanner, possibly before UCLA and USC, several firsts in nuclear medicine, and now they are the first hospital between Los Angeles and San Francisco to employ da Vinci surgery (long before
UCLA). Largely due to the expense of the equipment as well as the time and commitment it takes to develop proficiency, CMH is the currently the only hospital in Ventura County to offer this advantageous surgical technology. The equipment, a robotic system, carries a $1.2 million price tag and another quarter million for annual maintenance and support. CMH’s first da Vinci surgery took place in November, 2004, one month after the equipment was purchased and installed. The liberating advantages of da Vinci extend to CMH patients even more than its medical staff. In addition to those already mentioned, da Vinci surgery provides other benefits to those about to face major operations, including fewer blood transfusions, less risk of infection and improved clinical outcomes in many cases. Although the physicians enjoy the challenge and excitement of being at the forefront of medical technology, they receive no extra financial compensation for working with
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APRIL 2009
APRIL 2009
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