Robots at work in Flower Mound

Recently, my wife Annette and I attended a Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce "mixer" at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound, 4400 Long Prairie Road. The Chamber holds these events to introduce the public to the various businesses in the area that are part of their membership network. Since "Presby" is one of them, interested members were invited to a 5 to 7 p.m. informative social that included a sumptuous buffet accompanied by wine, beer and soft drinks. In addition, former Chairman of the Chamber Board, Harold Shepard was at the keyboard entertaining the assembly with a medley of soft music and show tunes. Annette is a member of the governing board at the hospital, so I tagged along to see what was new at the marvelous health facility right in our back yard.

I've often enjoyed the mixers because it's an excellent way to keep up with the new entrepreneurs in Flower Mound and its environs, while experiencing the warm, jovial camaraderie that's become synonymous with being part of the Chamber. This one was exceptional! Staff at the hospital introduced the da Vinci Surgical System, which is designed to provide surgeons with enhanced capabilities, including high-definition 3D vision and a magnified view. The system works by allowing the doctor (surgeon) to control the magnificent device while seated at a console next to the patient's bedside. While viewing through the lens, the physician's fingers are inserted into sensors, which translate his or her hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient's body.

Though it is often called a "robot," da Vinci cannot act on its own. Instead, the surgery is performed entirely by your doctor. The hand movements of the surgeon are duplicated in the patient by the robot. Most importantly, the instruments duplicate the wrist movements of the surgeon, allowing the instruments to change angles to allow precise suturing. With this advanced technology, your physician is able to perform complex procedures through a few tiny openings, allowing greater control and accuracy. Moreover, tremor is eliminated. The right and left hand become ambidextrous, allowing for extremely delicate surgical movements. Some of the benefits for patients include smaller incisions (less than half an inch long), less pain, less blood loss, lower risk of transfusion and a shorter hospital stay.

This is important because the patient may be able to recover more quickly, rather than the usual long recovery time that follows major surgery. The da Vinci system's command center provides surgeons three-dimensional, high-definition images, which provide superior visual clarity of target tissue and surrounding organs, with up to ten times magnification. Plus, two separate HD optical channels are used to merge images for advanced depth perception. The remote instrumentation provides dexterity and range of motion greater than the human hand. Other technologies in the system help replicate the experience of open surgery by preserving natural eye-hand instrument alignment and instrument control.

Although this is the first such technology in this area, the da Vinci® System has been used successfully worldwide in hundreds of thousands of procedures to date. During the event, attendees were invited to have a seat at the console, peer through the lens and even test their dexterity by directing the robotic device to pick up small objects and place them in a nearby receptacle. It provided an opportunity to visualize, albeit on a very non-technical level, the amount of skill required of a surgeon to operate, using one of these surgical robots. Chuck Elsey, a partner in the Flower Mound law firm, Elsey & Elsey, who is also Chairman of the Governing Board of THPH Flower Mound, was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer a few years ago. During the Chamber event, he spoke about his experience with the da Vinci Surgical System at another hospital. He told his surgeon that he wanted to have the prostatectomy on an outpatient basis, an unusual request with conventional surgery, which often calls for at least 2 days in a hospital. Elsey said he had the surgery about 7 a.m. and was home having dinner with his wife by six that evening.

Others who spoke at the gathering included Barry Howell, director of marketing and business development for the hospital, Ted Krum, M.D. OBGYN and Spencer Turner, President of THPH Flower Mound. It was an impressive display of talent and commitment by all those associated with this stunning facility. Furthermore, the Chamber is to be commended for organizing such an extraordinary activity that informs, educates and helps publicize a new and vital addition to the healthcare needs of our community.

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