500 robotic-asst. surgery

Wife and I took a 3-day midweek trip to the Colorado River.

At a stop on the return leg I picked up a local paper after the
headlines caught my attention:

LLUMC Conducted its 500th Robotic-assisted Surgery

On Monday, June 1, Loma Linda University Medical Center achieved a
medical milestone by performing its 500th robotic-assisted surgery.

Urology department chair Dr. Herbert Ruckle performed that 500th
rocedure, a robotic prostatectomy for prostate cancer. During the
procedure, Dr. Ruckle used one of LLUMC's two de Vinci robot systems
to remove the prostate through small punctures in the abdomen. By
using robot assistance, Dr. Ruckle had experienced precise surgical
movements, increased range of motion, improved dexterity, enhanced
visualization, and improved access to the area of the prostate.

Ruckle stated that during the 4 years LLUMC has used the robots, they
have noticed that patients have shorter hospital stays, less pain, less
blood loss, less scarring, faster recovery and a quicker return to
normal activities. Patients describe their pain as a vague ache in
the stomach area similar to the feeling of doing too many sit ups.

LLUMC is also using robotic surgery for gynecologic cancer and
hysterectomies.

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