About Robotic Surgery

At Dignity Health Sacramento-area hospitals, our team of specially trained robotic surgeons leads the way in minimally invasive techniques with the da Vinci® Surgical System.

Our robotic surgery program features specialties in:

• Bariatric Surgery
• Cardiac Surgery
• Colorectal Surgery
• Gallbladder Surgery
• General Surgery
• Gynecologic Surgery
• Gynecologic Oncology Surgery
• Urologic Surgery

Benefits of Robotic Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery using the da Vinci Robotic technology offers eligible patients a variety of advantages over traditional invasive and laparoscopic procedures, including:

• A shorter hospital stay
• Less blood loss
• Fewer complications
• Less need for narcotic pain medicine
• A faster recovery
• Smaller incisions associated with minimal scarring
• Quicker return to normal activities

Additionally, the robotic technology helps Dignity da Vinci surgeons improve patient experiences and outcomes in three important ways:

• Simplifies many existing minimally invasive procedures, allowing robotic surgeons to perform standard laparoscopic procedures more quickly and easily. Standard laparoscopy uses small incisions to insert long-shafted instruments, but has certain limitations that robotic surgery does not when the procedure, patient's anatomy or condition is particularly challenging or complex.
• Robotic surgery makes difficult operations routine. The da Vinci surgery system allows more surgeons to confidently perform complex procedures using a minimally invasive approach.
• da Vinci surgery makes new minimally invasive surgical procedures possible. A number of procedures that could not be performed using traditional technologies can now be performed using robotic surgery with da Vinci's advanced features and extensive instrumentation.

How does the Da Vinci Surgical System work?

Using the da Vinci Surgical System, surgeons perform delicate and complex operations through a few small incisions. The da Vinci System consists of several key components, including:

• an ergonomically designed console where the surgeon sits while operating 
• a patient-side cart with interactive robotic arms
• a 3D HD vision system
• EndoWrist® instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist

da Vinci software can scale down surgeon’s movements and minimize the effects of a surgeon’s hand tremors on instrument movements. As a result, the da Vinci System enables surgeons to operate with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control.

Why Choose Dignity Health for da Vinci Robotic Surgery?

Four of Dignity Health's Sacramento-area hospitals feature da Vinci surgery and offer an extensive robotic surgery team of specially-trained doctors in each of the seven specialty areas listed above.

• Mercy General Hospital and Mercy San Juan Medical Center are the only local hospital to have two da Vinci surgery systems to meet growing community demand for robotic surgery.

• Dignity Health-affiliated colorectal surgeon James Conner, MD, is the only robotic-trained colorectal surgeon in the greater Sacramento area.

See a Minimally Invasive Surgery Specialist

You may be a candidate for robotic-assisted surgery or other minimally invasive procedures. For a referral to a Dignity Health specialist, please call (888) 253-1704.