Franklin Woods Surgical Tech Marissa Bowery operates the new da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgery System at the hospital. Photo by Jeff Derby
Grover Cope didn’t know if his colon cancer would be operable. At eighty-four years old, traditional surgery could have been too risky. Then, he met Dr. Trey Robertson.
“I was honored to be performing the first da Vinci Xi surgery at Franklin Woods, and pleased I could help Grover,” said Dr. Trey Robertson, a surgeon at Franklin Woods. “After a successful surgery with only five small incisions, Grover did very well and was able to go home just three days later.”
Franklin Woods Community Hospital announced Thursday that it now offers the most advanced technology in the field of robotic surgery – the da Vinci Xi Surgical System.
This new system, combined with the da Vinci surgical system previously available, means that Franklin Woods can now provide minimally invasive options for additional types of surgeries, and for patients who may not be good candidates for traditional surgery.
“Our mission is to provide the very best options for care to our patients,” said Lindy White, vice president and chief executive officer of Franklin Woods Community Hospital. “As the Tri-Cities Center for Robotic Surgery, we are leading the area in minimally invasive options for people who need surgery.”
Franklin Woods provides a wide spectrum of robotic surgical procedures. In addition to options for colorectal surgeries, the da Vinci Xi robot now in place has been optimized for unique surgeries in the areas of gynecology, urology, ear nose and throat and general surgery.
For Cope, the most important thing was not the surgery itself, but the outcome it provided.
“I told Dr. Robertson, ‘You do your job, and I will do mine to stay alive,’” Cope said.
Cope’s wife, Velma, was thrilled her husband was a candidate for robotic surgery at Franklin Woods.
“Using the robot made his surgery less invasive,” she said. “All he has are small patches and no pain.”
By enabling efficient access throughout the abdomen and chest, the da Vinci Xi System expands upon core da Vinci System features, including wristed instruments, 3D-HD visualization, intuitive motion and an ergonomic design. The da Vinci Xi also features a new overhead arm architecture designed to help perform complex surgeries from virtually any position, and instruments designed to give surgeons greater reach during surgery.
This means that patients like Cope can have better outcomes and easier recoveries.
“When he (Dr. Robertson) told me Grover was going to be okay, I couldn’t hear anything else he had to say,” Velma Cope said. “It was like he had sunshine or a light coming off of his face when he told me.”
“At the end of the day, the most important thing for us is to serve our patients well,” said White. “We are proud that Franklin Woods provides the most advanced technology and comprehensive robotic surgery options for the Tri-Cities, and that we are able to positively impact the lives of people like Grover and Velma Cope.”
