Robotic Surgeon Details Advancements in Silver Cross IMatter Health Podcast

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox may not have been the first hospital to offer robotic surgeries when the technology was first introduced in the early 2000s. But Dr. Reza Gamagami, general surgeon on staff at the Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery at Silver Cross, said the 348-bed hospital quickly caught up over the past 12 years, becoming a leader in the Chicago area, the Midwest and the nation. 

Dr. Gamagami revealed this and much more in “Advancements in Robotic Surgery” as part of a Silver Cross Hospital’s IMatter Health Podcast. 

“Twelve years ago, 80 percent of the colon sections, hernias and hysterectomies were done with open surgery. Now they are all being done laparoscopically using robotic surgery,” he said. “We currently have six robots, the highest amount of any hospital with our number of beds. We do approximately 2,000 cases a year.” 

Dr. Gamagami led the charge for robotic surgeries at Silver Cross. As of 2023, he has performed more than 4,500 robotic surgeries, which ranks him 10^th in the U. S. and in the world. After about a year of performing robotic surgeries at Silver Cross, officials from Intuitive, the company that manufactures da Vinci robots, asked him to educate others. 

“I tell them I’m not here to teach them how to operate. My goal is to show them how to use this technology to do the surgery more efficiently,” he added. 

Although he is now one of the leaders in the field of robotic surgery, Dr. Gamagami said he was non-plussed when he first heard about the technology … until he saw a demonstration at a conference on the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System in San Diego in 2012. 

At that time, he already was renowned as a gastrointestinal surgeon at Silver Cross, following training that included refining his advanced laparoscopic skills 30 years ago with Sir Alfred Cuschieri in Dundee, Scotland. 

How Robotic Surgery Works

“There is a misconception among the public that when we talk about robotic surgery, they almost invariably think it is a robot doing the surgery,” Dr. Gamagami said. “This has nothing to do with robots doing the surgery.” 

Laparoscopic surgery is similar to robotic surgery in that surgeons make several small incisions instead of large incisions when performing procedures, such as lung removal or colon resections for cancer patients. 

The difference, Dr. Gamagami said, is the instruments used. He compared the device for laparoscopic to using chopsticks, because they don’t bend, which makes the procedures more technically challenging.  

“The da Vinci system has four arms; I control the camera, I control two of the arms, and I control the third arm that would have been the assistant. I have full control of the whole situation. So, I can make surgery more safe and effective for the patient.” 

Also, he said, laparoscopic surgery offers only a two-dimensional image of the operation. Robotic surgery gives a larger, clearer picture. 

“It’s magnified 10 times more and when looking inside with the camera, you’re looking at a 3-D image, so we have good depth perception,” he explained. “And you have angles of articulation, so you can do more complex surgery easier.” 

Robotic surgery means smaller incisions, fewer wound complications, shorter hospital stays and recovery times, and less pain, he said. And there are benefits for the surgeon as well. 

“This procedure allows me to sit comfortably and perform the surgery easily; very comfortable- type ergonomics for the surgeon.” 

“Here is a technology that has made a radical change in how we do things for our patients, especially for the more complex problems. 

To learn more about the Midwest Institute for Robotic Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital, visit silvercross.org 

To listen to Dr. Gamagami’s full podcast or watch the video podcast, visit www.silvercross.org/imatter-health/ and select the Podcasts link.