This will help you recover from surgery faster. And a Tri-Cities hospital has it

A Tri-Cities hospital has a new kind of surgical equipment that can shorten recovery time for patients, among other benefits.

Lourdes Health recently purchased the da Vinci Xi surgical system.

The Pasco hospital now has two robotics-assisted surgery systems in use — and the advanced Xi model is the only one of its kind in the Tri-Cities.

"We’re really excited about the potential," said John Serle, CEO, adding that the purchase speaks to Lourdes' current and soon-to-be parent companies' commitment "to having some of the best technology available today for the patients we serve."

The hospital began using the Xi system for surgeries earlier this month.

Dr. Wanda Good, medical director of the Lourdes Center for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, was the first to give it a whirl — performing a sleeve gastrectomy and hernia repair. The gastrectomy is a weight loss procedure.

It went well, with the patient able to leave the hospital the next day, Good said.

With the da Vinci system, "you can do the more complex cases — the large hernias and the challenging bariatric procedures (for example). And you can do it in a way that’s very safe," with less blood loss and quicker recovery times, she said.

Robotics-assisted procedures are less invasive than traditional open surgery, reducing the risk of infection and cutting down on recovery time.

In traditional surgery — the kind often shown on TV — the surgeon makes a large incision and works over the patient with hand-held tools. But in robotics-assisted procedures, cameras and tools are inserted through small incisions.

The surgeon operates them from a nearby console, in full control at all times.

The technology — including instruments that act like a human wrist, but with better range of motion, and high-definition cameras — means better dexterity and field of vision.

Lourdes already had a da Vinci Si model, which it'll continue to use along with the newer Xi model. The Xi model has some innovations, including better ergonomics for the surgeon and a table that can move during surgery as needed.

Lourdes uses the robotics-assisted systems for a variety of surgeries, from bariatric procedures to appendectomies. The hospital is approaching 1,000 procedures done with the robotics-assisted equipment.

Trios Health in Kennewick and Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland also offer robotics-assisted surgery.

Serle credited Lourdes' current owner, Ascension, and its prospective owner, RCCH HealthCare Partners, for bringing in the Xi system.

Both organizations had to sign off.

Lourdes has been part of Ascension for years, but is in the process of changing hands to RCCH.

A sale proposal is being reviewed by state officials, with a decision expected this summer.

The Tennessee-based RCCH also has plans to buy Trios Health, although a deal isn't finalized.

This story was originally published May 20, 2018 at 3:16 PM with the headline "This will help you recover from surgery faster. And a Tri-Cities hospital has it."