AdventHealth Gordon Celebrates 1000 Robotic Surgeries

On Monday, March 27, the AdventHealth Gordon Robotic Surgery team celebrated 1000 robotic surgeries performed at AdventHealth Gordon since the program’s inception in 2015.

The multi-disciplinary team of robotic surgeons who utilize the da Vinci Xi robotic surgery equipment includes urologist and director of the robotic surgery program Hak Lee, MD, obstetricians and gynecologists Joy Nwadike, MD, and Donald Taylor, MD; and general surgeons Briton Jordan, MD, and Carl Lokko, MD.

Sharon Bass, RN, CNOR, the robotic surgery coordinator and nurse navigator who helped build the program said initially her team worked to educate the public about the advantages of robotic surgery by hosting events and speaking with patients one on one. Working with Dr. Lee, they set the groundwork to create a state-of-the-art program to meet the needs of patients.

“We wanted this program to be special and we wanted our patients to leave here knowing they had the best care they could possibly have,” said Bass, who worked with each patient to understand what to expect before and after their surgery.

In 2021, AdventHealth Gordon added the da Vinci Xi system, as an upgrade from its original system, which allows for a series of small incision entry points, as well as more control over the instruments, resulting in less tissue damage and blood loss and quicker recovery periods.

“The da Vinci Xi system allows us to operate with enhanced vision, precision and control,” said Dr. Lee. “Our goal is to provide our patients with excellent outcomes, so they can recover sooner, with less postoperative pain and reduced hospital stay. Our investment in this world-class technology enhances the care we provide to our community and allows our patients to return more quickly to their day-to-day lives.”

With less patient discomfort and improved results, minimally-invasive surgery using robotic systems has become an increasingly popular option over traditional open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Patient benefits of robotic-assisted surgery include a shorter hospitalization period, quicker healing and return to normal activity. For the physician using the robot, advantages include an enhanced and magnified view of inside the patient’s body, instruments that bend and rotate farther than human hands, and overall enhanced precision and control.

“Our robotic surgery program places us on the high echelon of where we should be with any hospital in the country. This is a standard of care for surgery, and being able to offer this in a small community puts us up there with some of the best programs in the country,” said Bass.

To learn more about robotic-assisted surgery at AdventHealth Gordon, visit AdventHealthGordon.com/robotics.