Essentia Health Shows Off Latest Surgical Robot Technology

A new set of hands and eyes for surgeons comes in the form of the daVinci Xi robot.

“It looks daunting, but it actually facilitates dissection and precise movements within the abdomen and pelvis,” said Eric Chapman, an Essentia Health D.O.

It gives surgeons new options when performing minimally invasive surgeries.

“As a urologist, we use it to perform a partial and whole removal of kidneys, bladder surgeries, bladder removal and perhaps most commonly used for prostate removal for prostate cancer,” said Chapman.

Unlike a traditional robot, the surgeons are in one area using the controllers while the instruments are actually working on the patient across the room.

No matter the type of operation, many of the patients are off to a quicker recovery.

“Their recoveries are shorter, they have less pain post-operately; in cases where patients are working, they are getting back to work more quickly, so it has really been great to see the progression that’s happened with the new system,” said Troy Duininck, a general surgeon.

Dr. Duininck uses the robot once or twice a week while in the operating room in Brainerd.

“It allows us to do some operations through smaller incisions that maybe in the past we would have done through more traditional larger incisions,” Duininck said.

Today, some students from St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School were able to get behind the controls of robotic surgery.

“It felt like pinching scissors and picking up things with scissors,” said fifth grader Elsie Johnson.

“It was fun, but it was also really hard,” said fifth grader Adam Lokken.

It’s a fun test, but one that may lead to some future surgeons.

“I know what I want to be when I grow up,” Johnson said.