First Robotic Surgery for Gallbladder Removal in Arizona Performed at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Ariz.

Wednesday, November 27, 2002

What: Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Ariz. is the first in Arizona to use the new FDA-approved ZEUS® Robotic Surgical System to perform robotic surgical removal of the gallbladder, or cholecystectomy (ko-le-sis-TEK-toh-me).

Why: Robotic Surgery addresses limitations of the human hand and provides flexibility, precision and less bruising than previous minimally invasive surgery technologies. Gallbladder removal is the first application at Mayo Clinic Hospital for the ZEUS machine that has potential use for cancer surgery on many different organs in the near future.

Between 10 and 18 percent of people in the U.S. may develop gallstones during their lifetime. Gallbladder attacks are extremely painful and debilitating to the patient, and because the gallbladder is not an essential organ, removal is a viable treatment option.

The gallbladder is an organ that collects bile produced by the liver and excretes it into the digestive system to aid in the digestion of certain types of foods. When gallstones form in the gallbladder or in the bile duct, blocking the flow of bile from the gallbladder, they can cause sharp pain, indigestion and vomiting.

Who: Mayo Clinic surgical team led by Richard T. Schlinkert, M.D.

Where: Mayo Clinic Hospital, Phoenix, Ariz.

Background: Surgeons at the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Mayo Clinic Hospital are the first in Arizona to perform robotic cholecstectomy surgery using a surgical robot. Since October 16, seven of these surgeries have been performed, all with excellent results for patients.

Benefits: Robotic, or computer assisted, surgery provides a number of benefits to patients including:

• Elimination of human tremor or motion by the surgeon during the procedure
• Potentially shorter recovery time and less post-surgical discomfort for the patient
• Reduction of fatigue for surgeons because they are seated at computerized controls – an important factor in long surgeries

The Future: Robotic surgery has potential applications in the fields of general, gynecologic, urologic, cardiac and cancer surgery.

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