April 28, 2022 Ithaca, New York – Cayuga Health officials announced today that their Surgical team has performed their 1,000th da Vinci robotic surgery in less than three years. Cayuga Health reported their 500th da Vinci robotic surgery on March 31, 2021. Since then, the team has performed nearly three times a community hospital average. Community hospitals having the robotics capability generally average ~ 125 robotic surgeries per/year.
“Completing our 1,000th robotics surgery in just under three years, is a testament to our outstanding surgeons, surgical teams, and the demand and ongoing need for this type of technology in our region,” states Dr. Martin Stallone, President & CEO of Cayuga Health. “We are happy to report that we now have eight surgeons practicing robotics – three general surgeons, two bariatric surgeons fellowship trained in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), and three gynecological surgeons.”
Cayuga Medical Center introduced the addition of the daVinci Xi®, the most advanced robotics surgical system, to its portfolio of patient offerings in 2019. The da Vinci Xi is designed to enhance surgeon capabilities and advance minimally invasive procedures.
“It has been a bit of a whirlwind type of journey to have us start with this system back in the summer of 2019 and then to hit this impressive milestone so quickly,” states Dr. John Mecenas, General, Laparoscopic, Bariatric & Robotic Surgeon at Cayuga Surgical Specialists. “The reason we have been able to achieve this number of cases in such a short period has been in part due to the surgeons, but also is largely due to the dedication and focus of the OR staff, in particular, Sheila Stein, NP RNFA, our Robotics Coordinator who assures our teams are well organized and trained.”
For many patients, robotic surgery is proven to be a better, safer option than open surgery. Studies have found that patients experience shorter hospital stays, less blood loss, fewer complications, less need for narcotic pain medicine, and a faster recovery when undergoing surgery using robotics technology.
ABOUT CAYUGA HEALTH
Cayuga Health (CH) has two hospitals, Cayuga Medical Center, and Schuyler Hospital, as well as a multi-specialty group, Cayuga Medical Associates, and a network of over 400 providers with Cayuga Health Partners. Combined employment, including affiliated organizations, is over 2,500 employees serving multiple counties throughout Central New York and the Finger Lakes Region.