Seven years ago Lakes Regional Healthcare (LRH) became the first in the region to bring orthopedic robotic-assisted surgery to patients in northwest Iowa, southwest Minnesota, and southeast South Dakota. The Mako orthopedic robot enabled accurate alignment and placement of implants for total hip replacement, total knee replacement, and partial knee replacement surgeries. Two years later, LRH expanded robotic surgery to include the da Vinci X robot. That robot allowed several general, urological, and gynecological surgeries to be done that resulted in shorter hospital stays, less post-operative pain, fewer complications, and quicker recovery times.
LRH is continuing to invest in robotic technology. This week they received a new da Vinci Xi robot to replace the previous da Vinci X robot. The new robot improves functionality within the operating room and at the surgical bedside. It will allow for increased efficiencies and turnover of operating rooms and for larger surgeries, such as hysterectomies and colon resections, to be done robotically. Also, an increasing number of new physicians are trained on robotic technology, which means the new robot will assist in recruiting future surgeons to the area.
The new robot arrived on Wednesday and was used in surgery the following day.
