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For patients needing surgery, safety and comfort are keys to success and a speedy recovery. Mercy Hospital Jefferson will be improving both for many of its surgical patients with the addition of a da Vinci Surgical System.
The da Vinci system enables surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures with increased precision. The small incisions lessen the pain for patients, speed recovery, preserve more healthy tissue and avoid the greater risks associated with an open, more invasive surgery.
For residents of Jefferson County and areas to the south, the addition of robotic surgery at Mercy Jefferson also improves their personal comfort because they can receive this advanced level of care closer to home and avoid a longer trip to a St. Louis hospital.
“We strive to bring care where it’s needed, just like the Sisters of Mercy who founded our health system did from the beginning of their service almost 200 years ago,” said Dr. Karthik Iyer, Mercy Jefferson chief medical officer. “With the growth in Jefferson County, we’re finding more patients who would greatly benefit from robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery. It’s important for us to bring this service to our community.”
Mercy Jefferson was able to add this technology thanks to the generous support of the Jefferson Foundation, which is providing a significant portion of the needed funding, along with individual gifts to Mercy Health Foundation Jefferson from the community, medical staff and hospital leaders.
“We’re grateful the Jefferson Foundation recognizes how this technology benefits and supports the entire Jefferson County community,” said Dan Eckenfels, Mercy Jefferson president. “The Jefferson Foundation does a remarkable job identifying the true health care needs of our community and supporting resources, both large and small, to address them. Their unwavering support is a true blessing for our county.”
Adding a robotic surgical system is expected to have a long-term impact on expanding health care access in Jefferson County, beyond the benefit of minimally invasive surgery. It has the potential to attract top physicians eager to leverage its potential for enhanced patient care to Mercy Jefferson.
“We’ve already seen the positive impact on physician recruitment,” Dr. Iyer said. “We’re able to bring in new surgeons because they can work with the da Vinci Surgical System. Once they’re here, they provide additional care beyond this type of surgery, which allows us to continue expanding the care we provide here in Jefferson County.”
Mercy Jefferson will be able to use the robotic surgical system right away thanks to current Mercy physicians, such as urologist Jonathan Weese, MD, who are bringing their experience to Mercy Jefferson.
“It’s exciting to start a new robotic surgical program like this at Mercy Jefferson,” said Dr. Weese, who has already been seeing patients at Mercy Clinic Urology – Jefferson. “This surgical system improves my ability to treat patients locally. I can be more precise with the use of the robot, which helps my patients leave the hospital sooner and get back home faster. And I’m honored to help train and lead other physicians in learning to use this system.”
Surgeons can use the da Vinci Surgical System for a variety of surgeries. Initially, Mercy Jefferson will be using it for urological surgeries (such as prostate, bladder and kidney) by Dr. Weese, Rajen Doshi, MD, Alex Geisenhoff, MD, and Greg McLennan, MD; gynecological surgeries (women’s health) by Chad Caudill, MD, and Catherine Hutz, MD; and general surgeries (such as gallbladder and appendix) by Joseph Behrens, MD, Gregg Ginsburg, MD, and a new surgeon who will join the Mercy Jefferson team later this month.
Most patients are good candidates for robotic-assisted surgery, though some health conditions may require a different approach. Patients and their physicians should discuss whether robotic-assisted surgery is a good option for them.
