If you hear your health care provider mention da Vinci, it’s much more likely they’re talking about a robot than a Renaissance man.

The da Vinci robotic arm is a remote-controlled surgical tool that’s been in use in many medical fields for years. It’s a sophisticated tool that can perform many procedures in a less invasive way than traditional surgeries. And last year, LMH Health was able to install two of them with support from the LMH Health Foundation.

Surgical robots like the da Vinci arm aren’t automatic — they’re controlled by a surgeon — but they give the surgeon a precise tool that allows for smaller incision spots and shorter recovery times.

“When people think of a robotic surgery, they often think somehow it is automatic, self-controlled or artificial intelligence,” said Dr. Jon Heeb of Lawrence Urology Specialists. “However, it is just like a scalpel controlled by the surgeon to perform tasks that otherwise can only be done through a large and much more invasive incision.”

Before the da Vinci came along, Heeb said many surgeries were significantly more intrusive and strenuous. For example, in his clinic, he can use the da Vinci to remove a tumor from a kidney. Without the robot, Heeb said they would have done the procedure through a large incision — maybe as long as 7 inches — and the recovery time would have been longer.

“The hospital time alone for a surgery like this without da Vinci would have been three to four days in the hospital,” he said. “Now, because of this incredible technology, we can often perform surgery and send patients home the same day. The return to activity is quicker as well. With the smaller incision, recovery can be days to weeks instead of weeks to months.”

Heeb said patients who have da Vinci procedures are often surprised by how little pain they experience afterward. He said it’s made many surgeries a lot less stressful for patients.

“We use the da Vinci in Lawrence Urology Specialists for procedures involving the kidney, ureter and vaginal prolapse,” Heeb said. “The surgical arm has completely changed these types of procedures from intimidating and complex to same-day, minimally invasive operations.”

There are other benefits, too, including cosmetic ones. Smaller incisions mean smaller scars — sometimes as small as 8 millimeters, Heeb said.

It’s not just urologists who are putting the da Vinci arm to work. Lawrence OB-GYN Specialists and Lawrence General Surgery have also been using the technology to provide more convenient and precise operations.

Lawrence OB-GYN Specialists physician Logan Kracht has seen how the da Vinci can make procedures much less intimidating. Even major surgeries like a hysterectomy, which would traditionally require two to three nights in the hospital, can often be done as a same-day procedure, he said.

“Because of the da Vinci, I have extremely better dexterity and precision,” he said. “It allows me to make smaller incisions and perform a surgery that otherwise would have been much more intense just using my hands.”

The da Vinci has made surgeries less difficult for patients with busy schedules, he said.

“We have had patients unable to take time off of work, and because of da Vinci surgery, their time off of work for the procedure and recovery is extremely minimal,” he said. “The da Vinci is changing how we perceive surgeries. Though not all patients are candidates, for some, the healing process is astounding.”

Dr. Blake Conklin, a surgeon with Lawrence General Surgery, said the da Vinci arm bridges the gap between laparoscopic and open surgery. It gives the surgeon a three-dimensional view and allows for a higher level of precision, he said.

“It does not matter which operation is being performed with the da Vinci system — the universal statement of shorter recovery times and less pain rings true regardless,” he said.

“We have patients who undergo complex, minimally invasive robotic abdominal surgeries who can be back to relatively normal activities in less than a week,” he continued. “Patients are often astounded by just how short the recovery time is, because their initial perception is of a much longer time interval to return to their baseline. It is not uncommon for us to perform a robotic (hernia surgery) with the patient not requiring a single narcotic pain medication in the recovery period.”

For patients afraid of robotic surgery, Conklin said it’s important to understand that the da Vinci can’t do anything without a surgeon controlling it. He said that when the surgeon leaves the console, it completely disengages the robot so that it is incapable of performing any independent maneuvers.

“We are far from any artificial intelligence or complete, independent robotic surgery,” Conklin said. “I inform my patients that I completely control and perform the operation. The da Vinci robotic system is an aid to assist me in completing the surgery with the smallest incisions and most precise maneuvers possible.

“I am steps away from my patients at any time and my team is not only at my side, but more importantly, standing right at the bedside while (the patient is) under anesthesia,” he said. “The robotic platform allows us to perform at the pinnacle of our surgical abilities.”

In a typical week, the team at Lawrence General Surgery can perform ten or more robotic operations.

“We have been blessed with very generous contributions made by the community to the (LMH Health Foundation) that have allowed LMH Health to purchase the latest robotic systems,” Conklin said.

With high-tech tools like the da Vinci, he said “the forward progression for us here is limitless.”

“The technology only continues to grow,” he said. “We have witnessed so much advancement in minimally invasive surgeries, which will continue as we move forward.”

— Jessica Thomas is the social media and digital communications specialist for LMH Health, which is a major sponsor of the Journal-World’s Health section.