The Medical Center at Bowling Green first in the area to deploy new surgical robot

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A surgical team at The Medical Center at Bowling Green has become the first in the south-central Kentucky area to use a new surgical robot.

According to Med Center Health, Amber Chambers, M.D., a general surgeon with Med Center Health, in partnership with Graves Gilbert Clinic, performed the first procedure in December using the da Vinci 5 system and will continue to use the new surgical robot.

Officials say the robot succeeds the da Vinci Xi, which has been widely used at Med Center Health and health systems across the world since it debuted in 2014. It has been used in over 7 million procedures to date, according to manufacturer Intuitive.

The da Vinci Xi has been used to perform more than 6,000 procedures at The Medical Center at Bowling Green, the release says.

“This new technology gives surgeons improved visualization intraoperatively, and it provides surgeons with more precision while handling delicate tissues,” Chambers said. “The new da Vinci 5 system allows for better patient outcomes, including less pain for patients and shorter recovery times.”

The da Vinci 5 system includes the following, according to officials:

• New controllers for the surgeon to make a procedure smoother and more precise.
• Improved 3D imaging system gives surgeons a better view and supports future technology.
• 10,000 times the computing power of the previous model.
• Connectivity with other technology in the OR that may streamline procedures and save time for surgical teams.
• Robotic surgery is minimally invasive, and has a track record indicating improved outcomes and better patient experience in certain procedures compared to traditional open surgeries or minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures.

“We are excited to bring this technology to the people of Southcentral Kentucky,” Chambers said. “This technology is still surgeon guided. Robots are not performing the surgery, just allowing our surgeons to see better and handle tissue more precisely. This technology will allow for us to better treat the patients in our area, and for that, I am so excited to have this new surgery system.”