At CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital-San Marcos, advanced robotic technology is transforming surgical care, offering patients faster recovery times, less pain and improved outcomes.

CHRISTUS Health Director of Surgery and Robotics Dr. Doug Stoddard said the hospital was among the first in the country to receive the newest variation of the da Vinci Surgical System, known as DV5, which elevates the standard of minimally invasive surgery, delivering precision and consistency previously unattainable with traditional methods.

Traditional laparoscopic surgery, or minimally invasive surgery, relies on rigid instruments with limited range and scope. This method can strain tissues and restrict access within the abdomen, limiting the complexity of procedures. By contrast, robotic surgery allows for greater flexibility in incision placement and access to multiple abdominal quadrants, expanding the range of treatable conditions.

“Robotic systems are basically an enhancement to make surgeons more capable of consistently higher quality when we do minimally invasive surgery,” Dr. Stoddard said. “The equipment enhances our visual capability by providing this high definition, 3D, 10 times magnified scope, the quality of which far surpasses any other minimally invasive technology.”

This technology is utilized for a wide range of surgical procedures, including abdominal wall reconstruction, hernia removal, gallbladder removal, vasectomy reversal, treating acid reflux, bariatric surgeries, and removing benign and malignant tumors.

Robotic technology is pivotal to the hospital’s Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, or ERAS, program. This approach minimizes the physiological impact of surgery, aiding patients in regaining equilibrium more quickly.

"Surgery is controlled trauma, but our role is to ensure it disrupts the body as little as possible," Dr. Stoddard said. "With robotic assistance, patients typically experience less pain, require fewer narcotics and recover faster. Many patients go home the day after surgery and return to work within a week."

The DV5 technology is also used in bariatric surgeries and has led to better patient outcomes.

“What bariatric patients can expect in terms of postoperative recovery is vastly different when we have a program built around robotic surgery for them than when we don't in the sense that they can expect to go home much sooner,” Dr. Stoddard said. “They tend to have minimal pain postoperatively. They're taking in liquids the day of surgery, just hours after the operation's complete, and they typically go home within 24 hours.”

In addition to benefiting patients, this technology helps streamline the perioperative team's workload in the operating room, significantly boosting efficiency. It minimizes unnecessary tasks during the procedure, allowing for faster setup, takedown and overall operations. Traditionally, in laparoscopic surgeries, if adjustments to intra-abdominal insufflation pressure are needed, the circulating nurse must cross the room to manually change settings. With the da Vinci system, the surgeon can make these adjustments directly using a “heads-in display,” which overlays key information on the surgical field.

The hospital’s investment in this state-of-the-art robotics system reflects its commitment to health care equity and the San Marcos community.

"Our goal is to provide every patient with consistent, high-quality surgical care, no matter the day or the surgeon on call," hospital President Robert Honeycutt said. "This technology is a critical part of ensuring fair access to the best possible outcomes for our community."

At CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital-San Marcos, robotic surgery isn’t just a technological upgrade—it’s a leap forward in patient care.

To learn more about the technology used at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital-San Marcos, visit the hospital’s website.

The above story was produced by Multi Platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.