Teresa URQUHART
CEO, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center offers advanced technology with a wide variety of robotic-assisted surgery procedures. For some ailments requiring general, colorectal, thoracic,  OB-GYN, and urology surgery, patients might be a candidate for robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci Xi surgical system. Hearing or reading the term “robotic,” one may assume a robot performs the surgery. However, robotic-assisted surgery is actually surgery performed by a surgeon who has completed special training in use of the robotic surgical system. The surgeon is always in control of the robotic surgical system during an operation and is the one actually performing the procedure.

At Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, the da Vinci Xi surgical system combines advancements in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and laparoscopic surgery, a process of performing both simple and complex surgical procedures through multiple tiny “keyhole” incisions rather than large incisions via traditional open surgery. Laparoscopic surgery has evolved since its inception in the 1980s from a laparoscope with limited flexibility.

Today, the da Vinci Xi surgical system allows surgeons to view anatomy  through a 3D high-definition video system and operate with dexterity and precision via tiny bendable instruments that can exceed the flexibility of the human hand itself.

According to the Annals of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic

Surgery, studies have demonstrated that robotic-assisted surgery benefits include quicker patient recovery times, less blood loss, and less pain, especially when compared to conventional open surgery. In addition, other benefits may include less scarring and shorter hospital stay.

For general and colorectal surgery care, the da Vinci Xi surgical system is a tool surgeons use in surgical procedures for the treatment of some abdominal ailments including gallbladder disease, simple and complex hernias and colorectal diseases ranging from cancer to benign disorders like diverticulitis and polyps.

Dr. Hayder Al-Azzawi, an experienced board-certified and fellowship-trained colorectal and general surgeon, provides treatments for a wide-range of ailments requiring general or colorectal surgery care via robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci Xi surgical system at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center:

• Colonoscopy
• Seton placement
• Open ileostomy closure
• Transanal excision rectal polyps
• Hemorrhoidectomy
• Transanal hemorrhoid dearterialization
• Lift procedure
• Sphincterotomy
• Robotic cholecystectomy
• Robotic inguinal hernia
• Robotic incisional hernia
• Robotic colectomy
• Robotic rectopexy
• Robotic sigmoid colectomy
• Fistulotomy
• Laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy with colostomy/rectopexy
• Laparoscopic appendectomy
• Laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter placement
• Laparoscopic assisted small bowel resection