Featured Image: Daniel Harrison, DO (left sitting at console), Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, and operating room staff perform one of the health network’s first procedures on a patient using the latest da Vinci surgical robot the dV5, one of just 14 in the world and the only one in Pennsylvania.  (Provided by LVHN)

 

Lehigh Valley, Pa. (Apr. 2, 2024) – Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) is one of the first hospitals and health systems in the world and the only one in Pennsylvania to offer patients the latest in robotic surgery technology. The health network has installed and now offers a variety of surgical procedures using the da Vinci 5 surgical system, manufactured by Intuitive, at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest in Allentown.

Da Vinci 5 is Intuitive’s most advanced surgical system, designed to transform surgery to enable better patient outcomes, efficiency and insights, and as a result, help lower the total cost of care. Da Vinci 5 comes from more than a decade of research and development, and is built upon the clinical and operational value from more than 14 million procedures that have been performed using various generations of da Vinci technology.

“We don’t want to just do robotics for the sake of doing robotics,” says James Miller, President of LVHN’s Northampton region and Senior Vice President of Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. “We want to do it because we believe in it and there are better outcomes from a clinical standpoint, as well as from a value standpoint.”

Da Vinci 5 brings significant technology advances to help improve patient outcomes. It will allow surgeons to feel more and see more. And it addresses often undervalued surgeon ergonomics.

Da Vinci 5 introduces Force Feedback technology and instruments that enable surgeons to sense and measure the force exerted on tissue during surgery.

“Force feedback is a first of its kind technology. Preclinical trials showed up to 43 percent less force on tissue. That translates to gentler surgery for patients,” says Myrian J. Curet, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Intuitive.

Da Vinci 5 has innovative features that increase surgeon autonomy and can help streamline surgeon and care team workflow, which also provides efficiency for the patient undergoing a procedure. For example, greater surgeon comfort ergonomics are often

undervalued by the broader health care community. However, da Vinci 5 patients benefit from Intuitive’s well-established attention to surgeon comfort. The system features a redesigned console capable of customizable positioning, allowing surgeons to find their best fit for surgical viewing and comfort. Surgeons can make any necessary adjustments while their head is in the console. In addition, the da Vinci 5 console allows surgeons to adjust settings for a completely upright position, with options designed to fit different body types, including surgeons who are pregnant.

Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence now offers 17 da Vinci robotic surgical systems across 15 specialties. Now in its 16th year, the Institute’s robotic surgery program continues to grow, with the 35,000th robotic procedure performed in December. Assuming the current trend continues, 50,000 should occur early in 2025, or sooner.

“The high number of robotic surgeries we provide means LVHN has the experience to care for you should you need surgical care,” says Michael Pasquale, MD, Physician in Chief, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. “The more procedures you do, the better robotic surgeon you become, and robotic procedures result in less pain, less blood loss and get you back to being you in less time.”

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) includes 14 hospital campuses, four in Allentown, two in Bethlehem, one in Easton, one in Macungie, one in East Stroudsburg, one in Hazleton, two in Pottsville, one in Dickson City, and one in Lehighton, Pa.; 28 health centers; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices; 20 ExpressCARE locations including the area’s only Children’s ExpressCARE; pharmacy, imaging, home health, rehabilitation and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred. Specialty care includes: trauma care for adults and children, burn care at the Regional Burn Center; kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer, orthopedics, neurology, complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and robotic surgery in 10 specialties. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute, Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute and Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute physicians provide the most advanced treatments. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute is a member of

ADD TWO – LATEST DA VINCI ROBOT

the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance (MSK Cancer Alliance), an initiative that helps community providers improve the quality of cancer care and offers access to MSK clinical trials. Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the community’s first and most trusted children’s hospital, provides access to the most pediatric specialties in the region and general pediatrics. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) is ranked 27th in the country for orthopedic care and among the top 10 hospitals in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report. LVH is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the top hospital in the Allentown metro area for the 10th year in a row. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest, LVH–17th Street and LVH– Muhlenberg are the region’s only Magnet® hospitals for nursing excellence. Additional information is available by visiting LVHN.org or following us

on Facebook , LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Intuitive Surgical Intuitive (NASDAQ:ISRG), headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is a global leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic surgery. Our technologies include da Vinci surgical systems and the Ion endoluminal system. By uniting advanced systems, progressive learning, and value-enhancing services, we help physicians and their teams optimize care delivery to support the best outcomes possible. At Intuitive, we envision a future of care that is less invasive and profoundly better, where disease is identified early and treated quickly, so that patients can get back to what matters most.

About da Vinci Surgical Systems There are several models of the da Vinci surgical system. The da Vinci surgical systems are designed to help surgeons perform minimally invasive surgery and offer surgeons high-definition 3D vision, a magnified view, and robotic and computer assistance. They use specialized instrumentation, including a miniaturized surgical camera and wristed instruments (i.e., scissors, scalpels and forceps) that are designed to help with precise dissection and reconstruction deep inside the body.

 

Information provided to TVL by:
Brian Downs