New Robotic Assisted Surgical System Increases Access to Care for Michigan Communities

Robotic-assisted surgery is now available for residents of Livingston County at Trinity Heath Medical Center – Brighton.

Earlier this fall, Mark Jonker, MD, completed the first successful surgery at the Trinity Heath Medical Center – Brighton with the da Vinci XI Surgical System, a robot that can perform general surgeries — like an appendectomy, for example — as well as urologic and gynecologic surgeries. The daVinci® Xi Surgical System provides Dr. Jonker, his surgical partner, Eric Davies, MD, and many other skilled Livingston County robotic surgeons with advanced instrumentation, vision, and imaging, ensuring the highest quality of care is provided to patients. These procedures are also minimally invasive, meaning that small incisions are made during the operation; leading to faster recovery, less pain and less scarring.

“The first procedure with the robot was performed on a patient who needed gallbladder surgery, and it could not have gone any better,” Dr. Jonker said. “Because this was minimally invasive, the patient’s recovery time was much quicker, and they didn’t need as many pain medications. We are looking forward to many more successful procedures in the years to come.”

And because robotic-assisted surgery typically requires less time than traditional surgery, the addition of the Xi system is expected to create greater capacity for surgeons. Livingston County is no stranger to the da Vinci robot. Physicians at Trinity Health Livingston hospital have been performing surgery with the help of robotic technology since 2017.

“If you live in Livingston County and have surgical needs, there is no reason to leave the county for your health care needs,” Dr. Davies said. “The robots allow us to provide very precise procedures to high-risk patients. There is no better place to receive high-quality, advanced health care than here in Livingston County at the Brighton Medical Center and at Trinity Health Livingston. We are here for you and your family every step of the way.”

Learn more about Robotic Surgery Program at Trinity Health Michigan.