Colorectal robotic surgery service launched at Kent Hospital

Posted 10/2/14

Care New England has announced key advances in its minimally invasive surgery (MIS) program, which offers patients a comprehensive array of cutting-edge robotic and laparoscopic surgical procedures …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Colorectal robotic surgery service launched at Kent Hospital

Posted

Care New England has announced key advances in its minimally invasive surgery (MIS) program, which offers patients a comprehensive array of cutting-edge robotic and laparoscopic surgical procedures at Kent, Memorial and Women & Infants’ hospitals. Specifically, a new colorectal robotic surgery service has been launched at Kent Hospital. Kent is also the first hospital in the state to recently perform many advanced robotic procedures.

“Care New England’s program in minimally-invasive surgery provides patients with important options for the best treatment possible,” Charles Rardin, MD, director of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) at Care New England said in a statement. “As technology continues to advance, so, too, do the options for our team of clinicians working with their patients to provide the right surgery, by the right surgeon, for the best outcomes. Our program is designed to bring the benefits of MIS, which include shorter hospitalization, less pain, quicker recovery and reduction in some complication rates, to a wider group of people.  The new technologies such as Firefly imaging, offer promise in the safety and efficiency of gallbladder removal, as well as in several different forms of surgery for cancer care.”

Rardin, a urogynecologist and surgeon at Women & Infants’ Hospital and assistant professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, has been instrumental in shaping the direction of Care New England’s MIS program.

 Recent advances include a successful launch of a colorectal robotic surgery service at Kent, under the direction of Melissa Murphy, MD, who completed a colorectal fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Kent is only the second hospital in New England and the first in Rhode Island to utilize a fully robotic stapling device in colorectal surgery. This technological advancement overcomes several limitations of traditional handheld stapling devices and promises fewer complications after surgery. Earlier this year, Care New England also launched a robotic cholecystectomy program for gallbladder removal at Kent.

After installing its da Vinci surgical robot last year, Kent has quickly established a groundbreaking robotics service. Surgeon Joseph Brady, MD, became the first in Rhode Island to perform a single site gallbladder removal, allowing the entire procedure to be done through one small incision in the belly button. In addition, Brady and Brian Reed, MD, became the first in Rhode Island to complete several other surgical procedures robotically, including Nissen Fundoplication, for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); inguinal hernia repair; and ventral hernia repair.

Kent was the second Care New England hospital to introduce robotic surgery. Women & Infants’ installed its robot in 2010, and has tapped cutting-edge technology like Firefly fluorescence imaging for hysterectomies, gynecologic cancer surgery, and a host of other procedures for women. Kent recently began using Firefly technology for colorectal procedures. Firefly is a near-infrared technology that illuminates areas of the surgical site, allowing surgeons better visibility creating a firefly-like glow.

To learn more about Care New England’s minimally invasive surgery program, visit, www.carenewengland.org/surgery.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here