Lee Health is also committed to cutting-edge robotic surgery options, recently completing its 14,000^th robotic-assisted procedure

September 12, 2024 — Lee Health has added the Intuitive da Vinci 5 to its robotic surgery program and has also completed its 14,000^th robotic surgery, establishing the health system as a leader in advanced and innovative surgical options for patients in the Southwest Florida region.

The dV5 will help physicians improve surgical outcomes and efficiency by providing enhanced precision and control, advanced imaging options, and rich data insights to ultimately make the surgical experience more comfortable for patients, provide better outcomes, and even faster recovery times. The dV5 represents the latest advancement in the da Vinci series, continuing its mission to empower surgeons with the ability to perform minimally invasive procedures across a broad spectrum of surgical specialties. These include adult and pediatric general surgery, gynecology, urology, colorectal surgery, oncology, cardiothoracic, and ear, nose and throat (ENT).

The dv5 incorporates Force Feedback technology to allow surgeons to feel subtle forces exerted on tissues during the procedure. This helps significantly reduce the force applied to those tissues, minimizing tissue damage and ultimately enhancing precision, patient comfort, and fewer complications during surgery. The dV5 has over 10,000 times the computing power of its predecessor, the da Vinci Xi, and supports advanced AI and machine learning capabilities for continual software and functional upgrades.

The dV5’s console has been redesigned to provide better ergonomic support and accommodate different body types. As never before, surgeons can make more adjustments to the surgical equipment while their heads remain in the console, ensuring continuous focus and comfort during surgical procedures. This also helps allow for better patient outcomes.

“The da Vinci 5 is a groundbreaking addition to our robotic surgery program, and we are pleased to offer this upgraded version of the da Vinci Xi to the Southwest Florida community,” said Dr. Juan Ibarra, program manager for robotics surgery. “This new device takes surgical precision to the next level and will help us continue to grow our robotics arsenal and further improve the quality and outcome of our patient care.”

On December 28th, 2022, Lee Health added the Intuitive ION robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform to its robotics program. The robotic platform enables physicians to perform minimally invasive lung biopsies on patients to help detect lung cancer earlier. Now working with four Ion units, the option will soon exist across all Lee Health hospital locations.

It features an ultrathin, ultra-maneuverable catheter that allows physicians to reach small lung lesions. The ION also offers a wide range of motion and stability, allowing the physician to aim the catheter at small targets in almost any lung location.

Lee Health has performed 705 robotic-assisted bronchoscopies with the ION and 90% of those procedures resulted in a diagnosis. Sixty-two percent of the first 50 patients were diagnosed with lung cancer, and of the patients who were diagnosed, 51% were caught early enough for surgical intervention.

Lee Health’s robust robotics program includes several advanced robotic systems, such as the ExcelsiusGPS®, which is used for minimally invasive spine and brain procedures, three ROSA® orthopedic robots for knee and hip replacements, two AquaBeam® for Aquablation® Therapy of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), four ION to help detect lung cancer sooner, two da Vinci SP Surgical Systems for single incision urologic and ear nose and throat procedures, the da Vinci 5, and 16 da Vinci Xi.

The introduction of robotic surgical services at Lee Health has been made possible through the visionary leadership of our executives, the firm support of our physicians, a strong partnership with robotic surgery vendors, and generous contributions from our community to the Lee Health Foundation. This synergistic effort is dedicated to bringing cutting-edge medical advancements to Southwest Florida, ultimately improving the quality of care and outcomes for our patients.

To learn more about Lee Health’s robotic surgery program, please visit https://www.leehealth.org/our-services/general-surgery/robotic-surgery.

About Lee Health

Since the opening of the first hospital in 1916, Lee Health has been a health care leader in Southwest Florida, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community. A non-profit, integrated health care services organization, Lee Health is committed to the well-being of every individual served, focused on healthy living and maintaining good health. Health care services are conveniently located throughout the community in four acute care hospitals, two specialty hospitals, outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers, primary care and specialty physician practices and other services across the continuum of care. Learn more at www.LeeHealth.org.