Public gets chance to operate surgical robot

The public had a rare opportunity May 18 to experience robotic-assisted surgery firsthand by operating a da Vinci Xi surgical robot during an event at the Beebe Healthcare Specialty Surgical Hospital along Warrington Road near Rehoboth Beach.

Beebe surgeons have been using the cutting-edge technology since 2018 at the Margaret H. Rollins Campus in downtown Lewes and have added another robotic system at the new hospital, which opened a year ago.

Visitors had the chance to actually maneuver the four robotic arms, and pick up and move small rubber bands.

Doctors and nurses taking part in the event explained the benefits of this type of surgery include minimally invasive approaches resulting in smaller incisions, less blood loss, less pain, less need for pain medication, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker return to normal activities for most patients. At Beebe, robotic technology is used for a range of procedures, including lung, colon, hernia, gallbladder, adrenal gland, kidney, prostate and bariatric surgeries.

They also stressed that the robot does not replace the surgeon, as the surgeon and a team of assistants manage the surgical case from start to finish. Surgeons are able to operate with a level of precision that is nearly impossible to achieve otherwise. The robotic arms are capable of navigating to very precise areas inside the body.