St. Joseph Mercy Livingston completes 1,000 robotic surgeries
July 19, 2020
Categories: Bariatric Surgery, Cancer, Digestive Health, Women's Health
HOWELL, Mich., (July 20, 2020) – St. Joseph Mercy Livingston recently completed its 1,000th robotic surgery using the da Vinci® Surgical System. Since the launch of the hospital's robotic surgical program in May 2017, St. Joe's patients have undergone some of the most complex operations and benefited from fewer complications, shorter healing times and superior outcomes.
"Combined with compassionate care and the experience of our surgeons, the adoption of the da Vinci® surgical technology has delivered truly remarkable results for our patients," said John O'Malley, president of St. Joseph Mercy Livingston and the St. Joseph Mercy Brighton Health Center. "St. Joe’s has the distinction of being the only robotic surgery location in Livingston County and is one of the few emergency, after-hour robotic surgery facilities in the region – providing an important, unique service not found in many larger communities."
The da Vinci system is ideal for heart surgery, treating oral cancer, lung and thoracic surgery, hernia repair, removing cancerous tumors from the colon, a range of gynecological treatments, urological and weight loss procedures and extremely difficult gall bladder surgeries.
Robotic surgery provides a compelling alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopy, putting a surgeon’s hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robotic platform. St. Joe’s surgeons not only perform more of these procedures; they're sought after to train other surgeons throughout the country. Several of them were the first in Michigan to perform complex procedures with the robotic surgery system.
“Robotic surgeries are minimally invasive – which means smaller incisions, faster recovery and the need for less pain medication,” said Eric Davies, MD, FACS medical director of Robotic Surgery at St. Joe's Livingston. "Livingston residents benefit from this advanced medicine that speeds healing, getting people back to their families and living their lives with fewer days in the hospital.”
Patients who choose robotic surgery can often be back to work or enjoying their usual daily activities within a week, or in some cases only a few days, rather than 4-6 weeks under traditional surgical procedures.
In addition to the surgeons, St. Joe's Livingston robotic surgery team features 30 nurses and support staff who ensure patient care is exceptional and all COVID-19 safety precautions are followed.
“We screen every person coming into the hospital and ensure our patients test negative 48 hours before the surgery,” said Dr. Davies. “We also deep-clean rooms after every encounter, and all our colleagues wear masks to protect each other and our patients."
To set up your next medical appointment, please call (810) 494-6881.
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About Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is a health care organization serving seven counties in southeast Michigan including Livingston, Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Jackson, and Lenawee. It includes 548-bed St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, 497-bed St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, 304-bed St. Mary Mercy Livonia, 66-bed St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, and 133-bed St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea. Combined, the five hospitals are licensed for 1,548 beds, have five outpatient health centers, six urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 15,300 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians. SJMHS has annual operating revenues of about $2 billion and returns about $115 million to its communities annually through charity care and community benefit programs.
SJMHS is a member of Trinity Health, a leading Catholic health care system based in Livonia, Mich. Trinity Health operates in 22 states, employs about 133,000 colleagues, has annual operating revenues of $17.6 billion and assets of about $24.7 billion. Additionally, the organization returns almost $1.1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.
For more information on health services offered at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, please visit www.stjoeshealth.org