Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a community health system serving Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston’s metro-north communities, launched its robotic surgery program with the da Vinci® Xi surgical robot. CHA now offers many patients the most cutting-edge technology in surgeries ranging from hernia to lung cancer. This is a significant step in CHA’s efforts to offer the finest specialty care for its patients and communities conveniently offered closer to home.
The da Vinci Xi allows highly trained surgeons to use tiny instruments mounted on robotic arms to do complex surgeries with a high degree of precision. It enables CHA to offer more minimally invasive procedures which often result in less pain and quicker recovery times.
Siva Vithiananthan, MD, CHA’s chief of surgery, has extensive experience with robotic surgery. During his time as chief of minimally invasive surgery and bariatric surgery at Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I., he performed hundreds of cases on the da Vinci system and believes this modern technology “has the opportunity to revolutionize surgical care, not only for CHA patients, but for patients throughout the country.”
CHA is now using its da Vinci robot in general surgery and thoracic surgery, with the first procedures completed at CHA Cambridge Hospital on August 22. CHA plans to use the da Vinci robot for urology and OB/GYN surgeries in the near future. “We know that surgery is a team sport,” said Dr. Vithiananthan. “Each robotic surgery relies on colleagues from surgery, anesthesiology, nursing, sterile processing, materials management, and others to be successful. I am thrilled that we have an excellent team in place at CHA in all these areas, and I cannot wait to offer surgical options for patients seeking up to date technology and high quality care in our patient-centered tradition at CHA.”