News| Saint Joseph's expands robotic surgery - now Southeast's largest program | | Names Director, Urologic Robotic Surgery | | | Published Friday, Oct. 13, 2006 |
Atlanta, GA - Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Georgia’s leader in robotic-assisted cardiac surgery, has expanded its program and named Nikhil L. Shah, DO, MPH, director, urologic robotic surgery.
Saint Joseph’s has the most comprehensive robotic surgery program in the Southeast as it provides robotic surgical options for cardiovascular, urology, gynecology, oncology, gastrointestinal, colorectal and general surgery procedures.
“Robotic-assisted surgery offers patients significant advantages over traditional ‘open’ surgery as we’ve demonstrated with the program, most notably through cardiac procedures,” says Marti Taylor, president of the Heart and Vascular Institute of Saint Joseph’s. “Dr. Shah has been involved with robotic urology, including more than 500 prostatectomies, and is nationally recognized as a leader in the use of this technique for removal of the prostate. Dr. Shah’s expertise expands Saint Joseph’s robotic program for urology and oncology and it means we can offer men facing prostate cancer the full range of treatment options, including minimally-invasive surgery. ”
Minimally-invasive surgery offers significant advantages for patients including reduced time in the hospital, less blood loss and a faster recovery.
Saint Joseph’s serves as the training center in the Southeast for the daVinci Surgical System. In addition to its leadership in robotic cardiac operations, Saint Joseph’s recently became the first hospital in the Southeast to use the daVinci surgical system to perform liver resections, adrenalectomies and pancreatic resections for patients suffering from cancer.
“We’ve been performing these complicated surgeries for many years but the robotic system’s technology and three dimensional, magnified vision capabilities allow us enhanced visualization to better perform the procedures” says George Daneker, MD, director of surgical oncology at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. “The robot’s wristed instruments also mimic natural hand movements and provide unparalleled control and range of motion.”
According to Intuitive Surgical, manufacturer of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, robotic prostatectomy has grown more than 300 percent in the last two years and now accounts for nearly 15 percent of surgical procedures performed to treat prostate cancer in the United States. Those figures are expected to double by the end of 2006, making robotic-assisted surgery the gold standard for radical prostate cancer surgery.
“Since robotics provides a magnified, three-dimensional view, the surgeon can negotiate tissue planes to save crucial nerves and arteries which help regain sexual function and preserve continence (bladder function),” Dr. Shah says.
Dr. Shah recently completed a fellowship in robotic and laparoscopic urology at Henry Ford Hospital’s Vattikuti Urology Institute in Detroit under the leadership of Mani Menon, MD, one of the country’s premier urologists. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Michigan. Dr. Shah received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri and an Executive Masters in Health Management & Policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Shah most recently served as chief resident, urological surgery at the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. At Saint Joseph’s, Dr. Shah also will conduct research on new robotic techniques and provide training to other physicians on the Intuitive daVinci Surgical System.
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