Officials at Trinity Health suspected North Dakota was ready for
advanced robotic surgery last summer when they recruited urologist Ryan
Hedgepeth, MD, to lead the advanced robotics department. What they
didn’t realize was how informed their patients would be about robotic
surgery and the advantages it offers for certain types of procedures.
Trinity Health introduced the da Vinci Si HD Surgical System to the
region last July; it was the debut for this level of technology in
North and South Dakota. On April 1, the surgery department at Trinity
Health marked its 100th procedure utilizing this system.
According to Dr. Hedgepeth, many patients were aware of the
technology and of its benefits. They have been grateful for the new
level of minimally invasive surgery the da Vinci offered them, including
shorter recovery times, minimal scarring, less pain, less blood loss,
and increased patient safety.
When I first came to Trinity Health, we were determined to deploy
this technology deliberately, ensuring the physicians were appropriately
trained and comfortable using it for the appropriate cases,” noted Dr.
Hedgepeth