Saint Thomas Debuts Robotic Bariatric Surgery

Feb 25, 2020 at 11:08 am by Staff


In late 2019, Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital became the site of Middle Tennessee's first robotic bariatric surgery when James G. McDowell, MD, performed a successful sleeve gastrectomy using the powerful new da Vinci Xi system. Though McDowell has been performing bariatric surgeries for years, this surgery marked the first one he completed with robotic help. In recent weeks, he has now performed more than 18 of such surgeries.

Unlike traditional laparoscopic procedures, the robot offers physicians 3-dimensional visualization as they work. Saint Thomas officials noted the increased precision provided by a robotically-enhanced surgery creates less tissue damage to the abdominal wall, resulting in less bruising. The procedure takes about 45 minutes, and McDowell said he is often able to discharge patients faster because of less reported nausea after robotic surgeries.

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