Da Vinci Xi Robot, used by Aurora and others, allows for 'much less invasive surgery'



Da Vinci Xi Robot



KENOSHA -- Cutting edge technology is giving patients a new alternative when it comes to going under the knife. A robotic device used by doctors at Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha was on hand during this weekend's Kenosha Expo, and it's changing the way patients experience surgery.

The next-generation surgical system, called the da Vinci Xi Robot, translates your doctor's hand movements inside your body.

Da Vinci Xi Robot



"And I can see exactly what I'm doing in three-dimensional, live, real-time," Dr. Melinda Knight, urologist at Aurora Medical Center said.

Dr. Knight has been performing robotic surgeries for 10 years. She was brought in to help launch the program for Aurora about a year-and-a-half ago.

"For a new program, we have grown in leaps and bounds," Dr. Knight said.

The robot is now being used by doctors across many specialties.

Da Vinci Xi Robot



"As a urologist, I do surgery for prostate and kidney cancer. I also do reconstructive-type procedures when we have scarring in the ureter tubes, and some of my surgeries for bladder cancer are also done this way," Dr. Knight said.

Da Vinci Xi Robot



During an operation, Dr. Knight will sit at the system's console.

"With robotic surgery, I can make small incisions, maybe five or six over the abdominal wall, insert these very tiny instruments which mimic my hand motions through me working at the console," Dr. Knight said.

It makes procedures more accurate, and patients ultimately recover and heal more quickly.

"That allows me to do much less invasive surgery, with a lot more precision, a lot more magnification and a lot less blood loss," Dr. Knight said.

Da Vinci Xi Robot



Da Vinci Xi Robot



Dr. Knight says the robotics program is growing faster than expected and predicts 400 to 500 surgeries to be done using the da Vinci Xi Robot in the next year.