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Cincinnati Children’s Implements Robotic Surgery Program

Monday, January 01, 0001

Surgeons at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center are increasing their high-tech capabilities with the introduction of a da Vinci S Surgical Robot.

The $1.7 million robot is in use in the Division of Pediatric Urology, and will soon be available in other areas of the hospital. The robotic technology allows specially trained surgeons to perform complex procedures with a minimally invasive approach that is not widely available in pediatric hospitals.

“The robotic program provides us another way to ensure that each child is receiving the best, most personalized care possible,” says Curtis Sheldon, MD, director, Division of Pediatric Urology. “The introduction of this new technology is significant to our urological surgery program because it gives us the ability to attain better outcomes for our patients and improve on current surgical procedures.”

Minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery enhances the precision and accuracy of movement within the patient’s body while the surgeon performs delicate procedures through small incisions. The robot affords the surgeon the ability to more precisely and delicately handle tissue and sutures, as compared to traditional laparoscopic surgery.

The benefits associated with the use of the surgical robot include: faster / shorter recovery time, reduced blood loss, decreased post-operative pain, a decreased risk of infection, shorter hospital stays, quicker return to normal daily activities, and more favorable cosmetic results.

Paul H. Noh, MD, Pramod P. Reddy, MD, and W. Robert DeFoor, Jr., MD, have completed the necessary training and are using the robot. Dr. Noh is director of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery in the Division of Pediatric Urology.

More information about the robotics program at Cincinnati Children’s and its current use in the Division of Pediatric Urology are available at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.  

About Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is one of 10 children’s hospitals in the United States to make the Honor Roll in U.S. News and World Reports 2009-10 America’s Best Children’s Hospitals issue. It is #1 ranked for digestive disorders and is also highly ranked for its expertise in respiratory diseases, cancer, neonatal care, heart care, neurosurgery, diabetes, orthopedics, kidney disorders and urology. One of the three largest children’s hospitals in the U.S., Cincinnati Children’s is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

President Barack Obama in June 2009 cited Cincinnati Children’s as an “island of excellence” in health care. For its achievements in transforming health care, Cincinnati Children’s is one of six U.S. hospitals since 2002 to be awarded the American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize for leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. The hospital is a national and international referral center for complex cases. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.