Early in 2023, University of Albama (UAB) doctors spanning 15 medical specialties performed the 20,000th robotic surgery at UAB Hospital, a number that has been steadily increasing since 2004 when UAB Medicine first began offering robotic surgery. With this achievement, the institution maintains its position as the nation’s preeminent provider of robotic surgery, providing patients with superior minimally invasive surgical care.
“For surgeons to collectively surpass 20,000 robotic surgeries completed in our hospitals reflects the level of training and care that patients have access to at UAB Hospital,” said Dawn Bulgarella, CEO of the UAB Health System. “This impressive milestone is a testament to the joint commitment made by our many faculty and staff to make it a leader in robotic surgery volume in the nation, all the while continuing to provide unmatched patient care and outcomes.”
UAB has performed 20,000 robotic surgeries in total, with 10,000 of those occurring in the five years following the hospital’s celebration of its 10,000th robotic surgery in 2018; it took UAB surgeons 12 years to complete the first 10,000 procedures, and many of the second 10,000 surgeries occurred during the height of the COVID pandemic and ongoing constraints in health care access, making this achievement all the more remarkable.
The surgeries are done by different robots
More than a hundred different kinds of robotic surgery are done with the DaVinci robot each year at the Hospital. Among the ten Intuitive Surgical robots available at the facility, seven are XI dual console robots, two are SP robots, and one is ION. In general, patients undergoing robotic surgery experience fewer complications, less pain after the procedure, and a speedier recovery.
Over 20,000 robotic surgeries have been performed at surgeons from 15 different specialties in just the five years since UAB’s previous robotic surgery record of 10,000 was set.
Urology, cardiothoracic surgery, gynecologic oncology, general surgery, otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, endocrine surgery, surgical oncology, and women’s reproductive health are just few of the specialties at UAB that rely heavily on robotic surgery. The multidisciplinary culture of UAB has allowed the institution to be at the forefront of surgical care technology, rather than relying on the expertise of a select few fields.
Patients seeking surgical care at UAB Hospital can expect the highest level of care and precision because it is the only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I Trauma Center in the state of Alabama and because it is home to the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center located in a four-state area in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Six doctors at UAB have admirably executed more than 1,000 cases individually, contributing to the 20,000 robotic surgeries completed there.
Thoracic Surgeon Benjamin Wei, MD
Cardiac Surgery by Dr. Clifton Lewis Sr.
Doctor of Colorectal Surgery Jamie Cannon
Urological Surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Nix
Dr. John Porterfield Jr., Specializing in Digestive and Liver Diseases
Doctor of Gynecologic Surgery Michael Straughn
Herbert Chen, M.D., Fay Fletcher Kerner Endowed Chair of the Department of Surgery, remarked, “Reaching this monumental achievement at UAB is a wonderful reminder of each of the patients treated and the lives touched through the last 20,000 robotic surgeries performed on our campus.” Our surgical faculty and staff are able to provide optimal results for our patients because to their dedication to lifelong learning and our institution’s investment in cutting-edge technology.
Surgeons and administrators at UAB are excited to see where robotic surgery is headed because they know that maintaining a high standard of excellence will have a significant influence on patient care and will put UAB at the forefront of the field.
Nix, director of Robotic Surgery at UAB and associate professor in the Department of Urology, said, “What we’ve been able to collectively accomplish with regard to robotic surgery at UAB has set a standard in this field, and it’s been tremendously rewarding to be a part of this milestone with surgeons from so many distinct disciplines.” I believe that in the next five to ten years, not only will we be able to achieve analogous milestones more quickly, but we will also be able to expand upon the surgical solutions we can deliver to patients. We promise to always
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