Surgical precision: Lovelace incorporates robot into operations

Lovelace Medical Center has cracked the da Vinci code to medical innovation with the new da Vinci 5 Robotic Surgical System, a robotic system that provides assistance to doctors during operations.

The da Vinci 5 cost Lovelace over $2.1 million with the console, surgical instrument attachments and the special bed that connects to the machine, according to Charlie Lucero, administrative director of surgical services at Lovelace. For patients, there is no additional charge for choosing robotic surgery over laparoscopic surgery, Lovelace officials said. For the hospital, the machine saves money because of the time saved during procedures.

“The machine was expensive but it’s worth it to give patients the quality of care they deserve,” Lucero said.

The robotic assistant is one of just 50 in the nation and the first in New Mexico.

Dr. Erica McBride, a surgeon at Lovelace, uses the da Vinci 5 in her day-to-day surgeries.

A recent surgery

Dr. Erica McBride has a patient with a hernia, and the da Vinci 5 is going to help her treat it.

McBride slides herself into the chair of the Da Vinci 5 console, slipping her shoes off and placing her feet on the foot pedals. She settles her face onto the lens of the robot, where she is able to see through the 3D camera on one of the robot’s arms that she controls. With it, McBride is able to view inside the patient’s body. She places her fingers on the two controls, settling her two middle fingers into a ring-shaped slot in the machine. With a gentle tap of her finger, the robot’s arms come to life.

The da Vinci 5 gently brings a scalpel toward the patient’s abdomen, where it creates the entry incision. The camera makes the incision look larger, but it’s only about 8 millimeters. Then, McBride begins rearranging tissues inside the abdomen to help alleviate the hernia.

Across the room, monitors show what McBride sees through the camera. Nurses stand near the machine, monitoring it and the patient at all times. McBride is able to speak to the nurses through a microphone on the machine. She never removes her eyes from the patient, and the nurses swap out tools and do other tasks.

The machine has real-time sensors that keep the doctor stable during the procedure. The da Vinci 5 will speak if the bed shifts or if the doctor is not aligned quite right. At the end of an operation, the machine can provide feedback on the case to improve operations.

‘This is the future’

When she was told Lovelace was purchasing a da Vinci 5, McBride was more than ready to learn the system.

“I think this is the future and it’s going to be used everywhere. I don’t want to get left behind,” McBride said. “It helps with patient care and can help patients recover at a faster rate, and anything that benefits the care of a patient is worth it.”

Whitney Alcantar, communications manager for Lovelace, said the machine was first used June 6 and has been used in over 50 procedures since then.

The machine is precise — the robot creates incisions from 8 to 12 millimeters, as opposed to a 0.5-to-1 centimeter incision that is typically made by a doctor. With smaller incisions, patients have better pain control, don’t need as many painkillers and can go home sooner.

Maison Sanchez, director of surgical services, said the goal of the machine is to keep patients in New Mexico instead of sending them to other states for surgeries.

“We have a commitment to our patients. We do things here that nobody else does and we have incredibly talented providers. A lot of people think New Mexico is very behind in medical practices, and I don’t think that’s true,” Sanchez said.

McBride and her team went through extensive training to learn how to operate the machineThere is a separate credential for robotic surgery.

“It’s a bit of a learning curve, and at first I was slower using it than I was without it. Now, my gallbladder surgeries went from 12 minutes to eight with the machine,” McBride said.

McBride uses the machine in every surgery for which it can be used, though patients can opt out and ask for a traditional surgery. She has transitioned to having two to three days a week of robotic operations.

“I talk to the patients and let them know I do robotic surgery. A patient’s comfort comes first, so if they aren’t comfortable, I won’t use it,” she said. “Usually, it’s about educating them about it and once they learn more, they almost never want to opt out.”

McBride said that several patients have come from other states in order to have the robotic operations.

Lucero said the machine is beneficial not just for patients, but doctors as well.

“Doctors don’t have to hunch over patients all day during procedures, which can really help their backs and shoulders. A lot of doctors have to have back surgery because of how they are positioned when they operate, but this will help with that,” Lucero said. “Dr. McBride will probably have an additional five years in the field because of how ergonomic the machine is.”