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Shawnee Mission Medical Center to Host Robotic Surgery Live from the OR Webcast Will Feature Hospital’s Newest da Vinci Surgical Robot

MERRIAM, Kan. – On Thursday, February 11 at 6 p.m., Susan Sweat, MD, and John Strickland, MD, will perform a robotic partial nephrectomy surgery live from Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC). The surgery will feature SMMC’s newest da Vinci™ robot that allows surgeons to perform complex surgical maneuvers using one-centimeter incisions. David Emmott, MD, will moderate the Webcast, answering questions live from the audience.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 54,000 Americans are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year. Since it is fairly resistant to radiation and chemotherapy, doctors oftentimes remove the kidney or kidney tumors utilizing minimally invasive techniques, such as the da Vinci surgical system.

While a partial nephrectomy involves removing a small portion of the kidney, a radical nephrectomy involves removing the entire kidney and the fatty tissue surrounding it. According to Sweat, the robotic procedure offers a number of patient advantages over traditional open surgery.

“There is always a possibility of using the robot during any open surgery and we choose the minimally invasive approach whenever we can,” she said. “With the robot, we are able to make small incisions, which are less painful for the patient. It’s especially beneficial in kidney cases with the ability to operate using small incisions instead of a flank incision in the lower side of the body.”

In addition to less pain, a robotic nephrectomy also allows for less blood loss, shorter hospital stay and the ability for patients to get back to their normal lifestyle sooner.

“With the da Vinci, we can get a true sense of how structures are interacting with each other,” Sweat said. “The magnification is tremendous and truly raises the standard of care for complex surgeries, translating into numerous potential patient benefits.”

In addition to a robotic nephrectomy, the da Vinci system can be used for multiple urologic procedures including the following:

-    Prostatectomy (removal of prostate for cancer)
-    Stone removals from the urinary system
-    Ureteral obstruction (when the kidney becomes blocked)

In 2002, SMMC was the first hospital in a five-state area and one of just 18 hospitals in the nation to begin using the da Vinci to perform minimally-invasive procedures.

Viewers can log on to the February 11 Webcast by going to ShawneeMission.org the night of the broadcast. A Webcast library is also available on ShawneeMission.org, where the 14 operations that have been done to-date can be viewed at any time. Stay tuned for more information on Webcasts that will air in the coming months.

Click here to view all of our archived Webcasts.