State-of-the-Art Technology

Robotic technology is revolutionizing the experience of surgery, and MelroseWakefield Hospital is at the forefront of this innovation in surgical medicine.

On February 1, 2018, Adam Blau, MD, a fellowship-trained robotic surgeon, repaired three hernias for a patient in one minimally invasive operation, a
technique that allowed for less postoperative pain and a quicker recovery. Dr. Blau was at the helm of the latest advancement in robotic surgical technology, the da Vinci Xi® surgical system, for the first robotic-assisted surgery at MelroseWakefield Hospital.

“Providing robotic-assisted surgery to our patients is part of MelroseWakefield Hospital’s focus on growing services and offering more advanced surgical options.”

Matthew Brown, MD, chief of surgery

Matthew W. Brown, MD, and Dr. Blau lead the robotic surgery program at MelroseWakefield Hospital. Robotic-assisted surgery allows surgeons to perform many types of complex procedures with more precision, flexibility and control than is possible with conventional techniques.

A surgeon is always in full control of the surgery and robotic system. Through tiny incisions, robotic technology translates the surgeon’s hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body. The machine’s robotic arms and wrist-like joints can move 360 degrees in any direction and become virtual extensions of the surgeon’s eyes and hands. This allows for more effective, accurate surgical movements with unparalleled range of motion and control.

“The robotic instruments are very sophisticated relative to laparoscopic instruments. These instruments have multiple joints. When you combine these joints with robotic arm joints, you can make this instrument move in almost unlimited degrees of freedom, more than the human wrist.”

Adam Blau, MD, a fellowship-trained robotic surgeon

The state-of-the-art robotic system is changing the way patients experience surgery at MelroseWakefield Hospital. The technology’s precision translates to less invasive, quicker surgeries, which has significant benefits for patients.

“Patients who have robotic-assisted surgery often recover faster, have less postoperative pain, and need little or no narcotic pain medicine compared to open and laparoscopic surgeries,” said Dr. Blau.

Robotics is the next frontier in surgery, and the possibilities to come are exciting. Plans are already in place to expand on the success of 2018 to offer even more robotic-assisted specialty surgeries in 2019.

“Patients don’t have to look far for the most advanced surgical experience. We are bringing it right here to their neighborhood,” said Dr. Brown.