FORT MYERS, Fla. — Robots are revolutionizing the way hospitals perform surgeries, and at Gulf Coast Medical Center, Lee Health gave the public a firsthand experience at the cutting-edge technology shaping the future of medicine.
On Friday, Gulf Coast Medical Center opened its doors to students and the community, allowing them to interact with two advanced surgical robots: the Da Vinci and the Ion robotic system.
WATCH AS STUDENTS GET A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH THE ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY:
Dr. Shyam Kapadia, medical director of the Advanced Lung Care Center at Lee Health, said robotic systems are allowing doctors to detect and treat serious conditions sooner.
“We're getting to tumors earlier, we're getting to cancers earlier, we're getting to disease states earlier,” Kapadia said.
The technology enables surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures with greater precision, reducing the need for large incisions and shortening recovery times for patients.
“It means that patients get to come to the hospital, spend less time in surgery, we don't have to do a big incision anymore,” Kapadia said, speaking about Da Vinci. “And you can get to the lesion we're trying to take care of quicker."
The robots are produced by Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
The other robot showcased was the Ion robotic system, which gives doctors extended reach into the human lungs, helping diagnose and treat lung conditions more effectively.
Kapadia explained that in the past, doctors would have to wait for certain lung conditions to progress to be able to physically reach it.
"This allows us to get inside the longs, to the far reaches of the lungs, where we were never able to go before," Kapadia said.
Together, the two robotic systems have assisted in more than 16,000 surgeries across Lee County.
Dr. Juan Ibarra, a Lee Health surgeon, said demonstrating the technology to young students is a way to inspire future generations to pursue careers in medicine and robotics.
“We have 29 devices across the health system in our four hospitals and outpatient service centers,” Ibarra said. “This is just a new way to do surgery, and it's in very rapidly adoption now."
