Intuitive da Vinci 5 Comes to Foothill Surgery Center

A surgeon enters the operating room and sits on a stool in the corner. They lean in and rest their forehead on a cushioned viewfinder before placing their fingers in the appropriate loops. The surgeon begins the operation while the patient is just feet away.

They’re using the Intuitive da Vinci 5, an advanced robotic surgical system. Sansum Clinic, now a part of Sutter Health, is one of the first outpatient surgery centers in the country to have the robot – a three-million-dollar device. 

Foothill Surgery Center, at 4151 Foothill Road in Santa Barbara, recently acquired the advanced technology thanks to contributions from an anonymous donor, Sutter Health, and other supporters. Using the da Vinci 5, doctors can perform minimally invasive urology, gynecology, and other general surgery procedures.

Doctors can also record procedures and improve their techniques. The new technology increases efficiency with streamlined, less physically intrusive procedures; smaller incisions which lead to shorter recovery times. 

At the Foothill Surgery Center on February 14th, surgeons performed a suture demonstration on fake skin to show how da Vinci operates. Placing their head on the viewfinder, they can see the patient up close and zoom in if needed. 

A television next to the patient displays the surgeon’s movements. As is typical with any surgery, an anesthesiologist would be next to the patient, as well as a surgical assistant who can switch out tools upon the surgeon’s request. 

Urologist Dr. Scott Tobias explained that some areas of the body, such as the prostate, are difficult to access during traditional surgery, often requiring large incisions. He frequently performs prostatectomies, a procedure involving the removal of part or all of the prostate.

However, with the help of da Vinci, he can efficiently perform this surgery through a small incision. “With the robot, it allows us to really drive the camera right to where we need to work,” he said. “So it’s really revolutionized care for the most common cancer that most men get.” 

Dr. Charmian Dresel-Velasquez, OB/GYN, echoed this sentiment. She is especially thankful for the new robot as it allows her to perform minimally invasive surgery on women. “This is, you know, surgery on our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our grandmothers, and we are providing them with access to minimally invasive care at another location, so I’m excited to be a part of that,” she said. 

A hysterectomy, for example, used to require a large incision. That same procedure can be performed using the da Vinci 5. “It’s minimally invasive, meaning that rather than having a large decision, we’re doing all of these surgeries through dime-sized decisions, which allows for better and faster and more comfortable recovery,” said Dr. Dresel-Velasquez. 

Doctors want to emphasize that the robot responds to the exact movements of the surgeon – it doesn’t have a mind of its own and will not make any movements unless instructed by the doctor. “It’s still a surgeon performing a surgery it’s just via a robot,” reminded urogynecologist Dr. Benjamin Wisner. 

Although robotic technology has existed for some time, the da Vinci 5 is one of the supreme robotic surgery technologies currently available. This model boasts 140 new design innovations, such as 3DHD visualization and improvements to precision and ergonomics. “The biggest thing that this does, compared to the predecessor robotic systems, is that it adds greater efficiency,” said Dr. Wisner. 

Shorter recovery periods mean that some patients can go home the same day of their procedure. The Foothill Surgery Center features private recovery bays for post-op patients. David Clibrey, Director of Ambulatory Services at Sutter Health Greater Central Coast, said the surgical center averages up to 60 patients a day and around 750 a month across seven ORs and 22 post-op bays. 

The da Vinci 5 offers improvements for both patients undergoing surgery and the surgeons performing it. Dr. Wisner says that this new design fixes issues surgeons have had with other robotic systems, such as forehead numbness and neck pain. 

Efficiency is the primary goal of the Foothill Surgery Center. For them, better efficiency means a better experience for their patients. “So surgery can be scary; it is scary for patients,” reminded Tom Parra, Area Administrator, Surgery Center Division, Sutter Health Greater Central Coast. “Us being able to have a kind of concierge level of service [for] our patients helps bring that anxiety down.”