As science advances and technology evolves, doctors and other medical professionals can perform procedures with even more precision than ever before. At Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Frisco, surgeons perform many procedures using robotic technology.
One of Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Frisco's surgeons, is Sheetal Patel, MD, who primarily uses the robotic technology for bariatric (weight-loss) surgical procedures. Dr. Patel has been performing robotic surgery since 2012, and she is amazed by how rapidly the technology has evolved.
"We have a pretty extensive robotic surgery program that encompasses multiple disciplines, including urology, general surgery, colorectal surgery, gynecological surgery, and bariatric surgery," Dr. Patel says. "We are very fortunate to have the most advanced robotic surgical
technology available for our use at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center – Frisco."
In addition to being extensively trained on how to perform procedures using robotic technology, Dr. Patel says that Baylor Scott and White Medical Center – Frisco has invested greatly in the training of clinical robotic teams in the operating room to ensure they can fully support her and other surgeons during procedures. These highly specialized teams know the ins and outs of every component of the robotic technology and allow for a highly efficient operating room focused on patient care and good outcomes.
Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Frisco was one of the first hospitals in north Texas to implement this technology. Patel says that the robotics program at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center – Frisco also serves as a mentor site for surgeons and medical professionals around the country who want to learn and observe how a robotics program works.
"We've been very fortunate and proud to serve in the capacity of a mentor site for other surgeons across the country who want to learn more about robotic surgery," Patel says. "The methods we use and the way in which our team works is so fantastic that we have hosted other facilities to come to Baylor Frisco to observe. Not just to observe us as surgeons, but to observe the whole team as we work together."
Along with many other accolades, Baylor Frisco is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). Faced with clinical evidence that the most experienced weight loss surgery programs have the lowest rates of complications, MBSAQIP was created to recognize weight loss surgery centers that perform well, help weight loss surgeons continue to improve the quality and safety of the care they provide and ensure the best possible outcomes.
Though robotic surgery may sound a bit daunting, Dr. Patel assures us that it is indeed safer and allows for improved surgical accuracy. "With robotic surgery, we can enhance our control, reduce incision size, reduce blood lose, and typically provide a quicker recovery for our patients," says Patel. The robot is equipped with a three-dimensional camera that allows for 10-times magnification and an improved field of vision. The "hands" of the robot allow for more precise movement in seven different directions. "The instruments that we use robotically allow us to virtually have our hands inside the patient without making large incisions," Dr. Patel says.
"All of the instruments can do more than what a wrist can do as far as rotating and maneuvering."
With robotic surgery complications and the recovery period are proven to be 14 to 45 percent lower than those of traditional procedures.
"The whole point of minimally invasive surgery is to decrease pain to the patient, decrease operative time, improve recovery time and get patients back to living their lives," Dr. Patel says.
"As a surgeon trained across different platforms, I can tell you that robotic surgery is one you will see more and more. Other surgeons will adopt the technology because it's becoming a mainstream method. When, as a surgeon, you see your patients doing so much better, and you know that using robotics has allowed for that to happen, it's a pretty profound thing."
At Baylor Frisco ensuring the health and well-being of our patients and team members, as well as our community as a whole, is our first and most important priority. As such, we have
implemented a COVID-19 safety plan consistent with CDC guidelines known as COVID-19
Safe Care. The program is designed to keep our patients and team members safe so that they can feel confident as they receive and provide care. Some of the components of COVID-19 Safe Care include:
- Enhanced cleaning protocols across the hospital
- COVID-19 screening of all patients, visitors, employees, physicians, and vendors prior to entering the hospital
- Required utilization of masks by everyone while inside the hospital
- COVID-19 swab testing of all patients prior to undergoing a procedure or delivering a baby
- Social distancing measures in our facility.
We are committed to your safety.
