Robotic Surgery Program
Designated as a Center of Excellence for Robotics Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), our program has been leading the way is robotic surgery in Orange County for 20 years. This prestigious accreditation recognizes that St. Joseph Hospital is among the best in the country in this specialty while providing the highest quality of care and patient safety. We are committed to providing patients with access to advanced medical technologies, expert physicians, and excellent, compassionate care close to home.
With one of the nation's first hybrid operating rooms, multiple da Vinci® surgical systems, MAKO® robotic arm technology and the expertise of our highly trained surgeons, St. Joseph Hospital is taking robotic surgery to the next level. If you are interested in a robot-assisted medical procedure, our team of highly trained surgeons is ready to assist you.
What is robotic surgery?
Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery during which doctors use very small surgical instruments that fit into a patient’s body through small incisions. This type of surgery allows doctors to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility and control than is possible with conventional techniques. Because robotic surgery is performed through tiny incisions in the body, the advantages include significantly less pain, minimal scarring, decreased risk of complications, shorter hospital stays and faster returns to normal daily activities.
da Vinci® System
At St. Joseph Hospital, we make use of the da Vinci® surgical system, a state-of-the-art surgical machine that’s revolutionized the way that complex surgeries are performed. With this system, surgeons operate through just a few small incisions and use robotic arms to complete their procedures.
The da Vinci® robot is made up of robotic arms that can turn and move to almost any position needed with extreme precision. A trained and experienced surgeon controls every arm movement of the robot through a computer system. This robot has high-quality features such as:
- Cameras that allow the surgeon to view the inside of the body with accuracy
- Sharp, scissor-like instruments that allow for precise and minimal incisions
- Instruments with a high range of motion that are designed to mimic the human wrist
- Sophisticated sewing tools that help minimize scarring
The system’s endoscopic cameras create a 3-D high-definition vision system and its tiny instruments can bend and rotate more than the human hand. As a result, the da Vinci® surgical system enables your surgeon to operate with enhanced vision, precision and control.
da Vinci Single-Port Surgical System
The da Vinci Single-Port surgical system is currently used for robotic prostatectomy procedures.
The Single-Port surgical system allows our surgeons to perform complex surgeries with delicate precision. The robot enters the body through one small incision (that is, a single port) above the belly button, allowing the surgeon to use the robot’s surgical instruments to complete the procedure with a 3D, magnified view.
The platform allows the surgeon access to three robotic-assisted complex instruments and a visual camera all through one incision. This will allow the surgeon to navigate even tighter spaces with less post-op scarring and further improve clinical outcomes.
ION System
St. Joseph Hospital uses the ION System for the early diagnosis of lung cancer. The ION System is a sophisticated robotic platform that can visualize and execute precise, minimally invasive biopsies in some of the most hard-to-reach areas of the lung where malignant cancers frequently begin. The new screening system eliminates the need for invasive needle biopsies of the lung that can be associated with increased pain and complications.
The ION system has features such as:
- Flexible robotic technology that allow clinicians to have real-time visuals of their patient’s airways at every step of the procedure
- A specially designed instrument that can navigate into the lung in a safe and minimally invasive manner
- An ultra-thin and maneuverable catheter that can reach all areas of the lung
With the ION System, providers can diagnosis lung cancer patients at an early stage without delay and with less pain and lower rates of complication.
Our robotic orthopedic surgeons have years of experience in performing minimally invasive, innovative and reliable hip and knee replacements with Stryker MAKO Robotic Arm-Assisted technology.
We were among the first in Orange County to offer this technology and have remained at the forefront of advances in surgical techniques and technology to make these procedures increasingly safe and effective.
Advantages of MAKO robotic-arm assisted hip and knee replacement over traditional arthroplasty stem from greater visualization and thus improved precision in implant placement.
MAKO provides patients and their surgeons with a personalized surgical plan based on the patient’s unique anatomy. A CT scan of the diseased hip or knee joint is uploaded into the MAKO system software to create a 3D model of the joint. The surgeon uses the model to pre-plan the procedure. Having this additional information enables the surgeon to determine the optimal size, placement and positioning of the implant.
Robotic surgical systems can be used to treat a wide range of conditions and can be more effective over traditional surgery when performing more challenging procedures.
At St. Joseph Hospital, robotic-assisted surgery is available for the following:
Our surgeons perform minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery through a few small incisions with the da Vinci® Robotic System. Both sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgeries are performed using minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery.
Our surgeons perform minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery through a few small incisions with the da Vinci® Robotic System. Both sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgeries are performed using minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery.
Utilizing the da Vinci® Robotic System, we’re able to treat many bothersome and sometimes critical colorectal conditions that impair quality of life. These conditions may include:
- Colon and rectal cancer
- Diverticulitis
- Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Utilizing the da Vinci® Robotic System, we’re able to treat many bothersome and sometimes critical colorectal conditions that impair quality of life. These conditions may include:
- Colon and rectal cancer
- Diverticulitis
- Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Doctors can also perform many procedures in the abdomen and on the digestive tract using minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery. We are able to treat conditions such as:
- Hernias and abdominal wall reconstruction
- Gallbladder disease
- Diseases of the stomach, pancreas, liver and spleen
- Acid reflux
- Single-site™ procedures of the gallbladder and appendix
Our surgeons use robotic technology to perform hysterectomy for benign fibroids and cancerous tumors, including uterine, ovarian and cervical cancer.
A myomectomy may be performed for removal of fibroids from the uterus and an oophorectomy is performed to remove one or both of the ovaries.
Our robotic system may also be used to treat uterine or vaginal prolapse, endometriosis, excessive uterine bleeding, chronic pelvic pain and female urinary incontinence.
One of the first hospitals in Orange County to offer Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology for total knee, partial knee and total hip replacement procedures.
Our surgeons can perform many procedures using minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery such as treatment for lung cancer and esophageal cancer. We can also treat swallowing disorders such as achalasia.
Our urologists use robotic technology for a wide range of conditions in men and women including prostate, bladder, uterus and kidneys. The precision of robotic technology is ideal for delicate and complex urological surgeries and allows our surgeons to perform complicated procedures while avoiding damage to surrounding structures such as fragile nerves.
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