Our Technology
daVinci™—3D Eyes and Extra Hands in the OR
Idaho's only daVinci™—known universally as the most advanced surgical robot in the world—resides
at Saint Alphonsus. daVinci™ not only utilizes
laparoscopic surgical techniques, but it advances them to their most state-of-the
art level. Peering into a console several feet away from the patient, the surgeon
has a field of vision that is 3-D and magnified 10 times beyond normal to
optimize the view of tissues and organs. The surgeon's eyes are then considered "inside" the
patient—a view literally inches from the operative field. One surgeon described
daVinci™ as "like being able to shrink my hands and put them
places they'd never fit."
Detachable surgical instruments are used by the robot's arms. These instruments are connected to an advanced mechanical feature—tiny, electronically controlled wrists. As one of the daVinci™ innovations, the surgeon can sit comfortably at a console with his or her arms in a natural operating position and instruments can be rotated, tilted, advanced and withdrawn. The daVinci™ allows for dexterity and can reproduce the exact movements of the human hand, wrist and fingers. With a less invasive approach via the entry ports, quicker recovery times for patients, less blood loss, lower costs for post-op care and enhanced surgeon capabilities by going "inside" the patient, daVinci™ brings robotic surgery to its most advanced level yet.