First Hospital in Pasco County to Acquire the Most Advanced Surgical Robot

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel recently upgraded its robotic surgery program with Intuitive Surgicals new da Vinci Xi System, a four-armed robot that offers greater range of motion and reach. The hospital has offered minimally invasive robotic surgery with the da Vinci Si System since 2013.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is one of only five hospitals in Tampa Bay and the only one in Pasco County to have a da Vinci Xi System. Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will be the only hospital in the county offering single-site robotic surgeries where the only incision is made through the belly button for hysterectomies, gallbladder removal, etc.

Dr. Jennifer Roller, gynecology, and Dr. Vijay Ferris, general surgery, Chief of Surgery, successfully completed the first surgeries on the new system, a hysterectomy and colon resection. Dr. Olufunke Abiose performed the first single-site hysterectomy.

In this latest round of advancements, surgeons have gained greater functionality in procedures requiring access to multiple areas of the pelvis, abdomen or chest. It can be used across a wide spectrum of minimally invasive surgical procedures, including colorectal, urology, gynecology, thoracic and general surgery.

"As a surgeon, I am particularly impressed by the improvements in this generation of da Vinci, which offers greater vision, dexterity and precision," Ferris says. "This technology truly is a natural extension of a surgeon's eyes and hands."

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is committed to providing the highest quality, most advanced care to our community, said Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel president and CEO, Denyse Bales-Chubb. The da Vinci Xi enables our patients to have a faster recovery, less blood loss, and less pain after surgery.

How does the new da Vinci Xi compare to the earlier da Vinci Si system?

• New design facilitates anatomical access from virtually any position.
• A simpler, more compact endoscope provides improved visual definition and clarity.
• The camera/endoscope attaches to any of the 4 arms, providing flexibility for visualizing the surgical site.
• Smaller, thinner arms with more flexible joints offer greater range of motion.
• Longer instrument shafts give surgeons greater operative reach.

Additionally, the da Vinci Xi is compatible with the Intuitive Firefly Fluorescence Imaging Vision System. Fireflys real-time endoscopic, near-infrared fluorescence imaging, enables surgeons to use this advanced technology to better view anatomy, blood flow, tumor identification and have more successful outcomes. The system is also paired with a fully integrated operating table from Trumpf Medical that allows the medical team to adjust the patient during surgery without removing any instrumentation.