BCHS offering surgical robotics open house and mini health fair

Are you considering treatment for hysterectomy, prostate, kidney, or lung-related conditions or know someone who is? If so, Battle Creek Health System is offering advanced surgical procedures for those areas to get you back on your feet more quickly than ever.

On Wednesday, May 20, BCHS is holding a free surgical robotics open house and mini health fair in its outpatient center from 3-6:30 p.m. to showcase this technology.

Light refreshments and short presentations on the benefits of surgical robotics will be offered. There will also be free health screenings including: pulmonary function spirometry, pulse oximetery, blood glucose, and blood pressure.

The public will have an opportunity to meet some of the most experienced surgeons in the region and get behind the controls of the da Vinci 'S' HD surgical system.

The da Vinci S 'HD' robotic system is powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology that allows a surgeon's hand movements to be translated into precise movements of micro-instruments in and near the surgery site through tiny surgery openings. Its three-dimensional imaging camera capabilities give the surgeon a clearer picture of tissue structures. Because the surgery is performed using very small instruments placed through tiny incisions in the body, the patient experiences less pain and blood loss, usually has a shorter hospital, and most importantly is able to return to normal activities more quickly.

This new surgery platform uses a small camera that is inserted through very small incisions to magnify the surgery site, which enhances the surgeon's hand and wrist movements offering more dexterity, versatility, and precision.

Even though it is referred to as a 'robotic' surgery, the system cannot be programmed nor can it make decisions or incisions on its own. The da Vinci system requires that every surgical maneuver be performed by the highly trained and skilled surgeon.

"One might expect that a technology like this would only be available at a large metropolitan hospital," says Dr. Jeffrey Mitchell, vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at Battle Creek Health System. "But BCHS, through our commitment to providing the latest surgery techniques for our community is, for example, one of only a few centers nationwide currently performing the pulmonary lobectomy procedure using the da Vinci S 'HD' system."

"This new technology provides surgeons with superior 3-D visualization, enhanced dexterity, and greater precision making it possible for them to perform minimally invasive procedures involving complex reconstruction," adds Dr. Tammy Gleeson, chair of the BCHS surgery department. "The improved and magnified images enable our surgeons to handle delicate tissues with added precision, especially in confined spaces in the body.

"As with any surgical procedure, these benefits cannot be guaranteed as surgery is both patient and procedure specific. The da Vinci system is not used on every type of surgery, but where it is used, in most cases, patients will feel much better more quickly than through the use of traditional surgery techniques."

BCHS offers less invasive robotic surgeries options in treatments for gynecologic, thoracic, and urology conditions.

Battle Creek Health System, sponsored by two parent organizations--Trinity Health (the fourth largest Catholic health system in the U.S. with 21 hospitals, 9 nursing homes, 19 senior house facilities, 8 home health care agencies, and 4 hospices in Michigan alone) and BCHS Community Partners, is accredited by the Joint Commission. Battle Creek Health System is a recipient of the 2008 HealthGrades Orthopaedic Surgery Excellence Award(tm) and 2009 Five Star rated for joint replacement surgery and total knee replacement. HealthGrades is a leading health care information company that provides objective 'report card' ratings nationwide. BCHS provides excellent health care for the community and promotes wellness for the whole person with access and compassion for all. For the latest medical information, visit the BCHS web site at www.bchealth.com or call the BCHS Marketing Department at (269) 966-8132.