Da Vinci 5 Draws on the Most Updated Technology to Assist Silver Cross Hospital Surgeons with Robotic Procedures

With a world ranking to his credit, Dr. Reza Gamagami has performed thousands of robotic surgeries, enough to be invited to other countries to lecture on robotic surgery, train other surgeons and receive visiting surgeons from all over the world.  

But on Dec. 2 of this year, Dr. Gamagami, a board-certified general surgeon with the Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, had the experience of a lifetime, performing robotic surgery using the most advanced and integrated robotic surgery system available – the da Vinci 5 by Intuitive. 

“After having performed close to 5,000 robotic cases since 2012, I was very pleasantly surprised with many features of the new robot,” Dr. Gamagami said. 

Samantha Morgan, Clinical Director for the Silver Cross Procedural Care Unit, said Dr. Gamagami was effusive when he came out of that surgery to repair a hiatal hernia on a 75-year-old Joliet man. 

“He said the Da Vinci 5 was so intuitive,” Morgan said, “and it was so easy to adjust to the new controls.” 

All surgeons who will be using the new robotic surgery platform at Silver Cross first must complete a training course. 

Since 2012, Silver Cross has purchased six robotic surgical devices in addition to the new da Vinci 5. Dr. Gamagami explains how the new technology makes robotic surgical procedures safer, resulting in more efficient surgeries and quicker recoveries for patients. 

“There are many facets in performing a safe surgery. Robotic surgery is very similar to laparoscopic or otherwise known as ‘keyhole surgery.’ In minimally invasive surgery, surgeons do not have the ability to directly touch the organ, which sometimes can be important in determining the quality of the tissues and, hence, facilitating surgery,” he explained. “The DV 5 has an inherent technology built-in where the surgeon can now receive feedback through their fingertips with regard to various tissues that are manipulated during surgery. The surgeon also has full control of many aspects of the patient's well-being, from controlling the amount of gas that is inserted for the procedure, to the rate and control of the thermal energy for coagulation of the tissues to stop the bleeding.” 

The da Vinci 5 vision system also delivers the most realistic 3D image – with better color and resolution – so doctors performing the surgery can see even more precisely exactly what their fingers are feeling. 

Since 2012, Dr. Gamagami said, surgeons on staff at Silver Cross have performed nearly 18,000 robotic surgeries, leading the hospital to be ranked as the best hospital for surgical care in Illinois for two consecutive years. 

“I am both proud and honored to be part of this organization, and I am indebted to the vision of our administration for having the fortitude to provide this extraordinary technology to our patients in the southwest Chicago suburbs,” he added. “We are very grateful to the patients who seek their healthcare here at Silver Cross and for the privilege of taking care of them with the most advanced technology available.” 

To learn more about innovative surgical technology and services at Silver Cross, visit the Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery at Silver Cross at silvercross.org/midwest-robotic-surgery/