MIDDLEBURG — On Feb. 12, general surgeon Dr. Lindsay Lindsey conducted, yet again, another surgery at St. Vincent's Clay County.

On the surface, the procedures were nothing new. Scrub in, cut, repair, close and scrub out.

 But the way she went about it made all the difference.

Earlier this month, the hospital welcomed the Da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system, the first in Clay County. Although similar to the XI model, the new system is said to enhance the capabilities of skilled surgeons, providing minimally invasive procedures with advanced technology.

“The Da Vinci 5 reflects our commitment to investing in state-of-the-art technologies that enhance our patients' quality of care and experience at our hospital,” said Bryan Walrath, president and CEO of St. Vincent’s Clay County. “Our surgeons and care teams look forward to utilizing the system’s best-in-class capabilities to improve the health of those in the Clay County community who need it most.”

After putting the patient to sleep, Lindsey said, the surgeon scrubs in and places laparoscopic ports to dock the robot. Following that, they unscrub and head to the console on the other side of the room. There is a first assist and a scrub tech who remains scrubbed in to help with instrument passes.

The surgeon proceeds with the entire operation from the console, which includes hand controls, a high-definition screen and a loudspeaker.

The machine's four interactive arms perform the procedure and act as extensions of the surgeon's hands. However, the surgeon remains in full control.

"If I need different instruments, I ask my tech to remove the instruments and replace them with new ones," she said.  "Then after I finish the operation, I scrub back in and undock the robot, and we close all the little port sites. That's the surgery."

The hospital added the system, which is approximately $2.7 million according to  Abrazo Health, after a group of surgeons emphasized the impact it would have on patients. 

"That's a really key thing, how much support this hospital has for us as surgeons so that we can give the best for our patients," Lindsey said.

Just like Lindsey, other surgeons use the machine for most benign and malignant cases, including gall bladder and appendix removals, hernia repairs and colectomies.

Incisions are less than an inch, which, in turn, is less pain and a faster recovery for patients. Force feedback also allows a better gauge on tissue tension, creating a softer, safer surgery.

"It's 40% less tension on tissue and that can only mean good things," she said.

The Da Vinci 5 also features more than 150 enhancements from the original model, including improved accuracy and precision, 3-D display and image processing, and 10,000 times more computing power.

"The video of the surgery goes immediately to my phone. I can review it like a golfer looks at a swing. I can go back and look at my surgery and say, 'Oh, hey, actually right there I think I need to do this better,'" Lindsey said.

"Surgery is a game of millimeters. I mean, it's not, something you can just hope you get close like a horseshoe. This is precise. And precision can be the difference between someone having a good outcome and a bad outcome. That's every surgeon's goal to be as precise as possible."

The Da Vinci 5 also allows for telepresence, Lindsey said. This will open up collaboration with other doctors and hospitals, who can join in and assist at the click of the button. This comes in handy when needing an expert on unfamiliar cases.

"We believe really strongly that Day 365, three years and five years, this is going to have a huge impact for patients in Clay."