TRMC performs operation using advanced robotic surgical system

Tomball Regional Medical Center recently utilized robotic surgery to perform an operation at its facility, making it the first hospital in northwest Houston to do so.

Dr. Ata Ahmad, TRMC general surgeon, performed a cholecystectomy, or gall bladder removal, on Aug. 1 using the hospital's robotic surgical system, according to a TRMC news release. Robotic surgery is a type of minimally invasive surgery that uses computer-assisted technology to aid in surgical procedures.

"We are one of only two hospitals in the Houston area that is using this advanced robotic system to perform surgery, and we are one of only four hospitals in Texas to have this latest technology," TRMC CEO Tom Jackson said. "I believe it shows our community that we are committed to bringing them the kind of advanced medical care that, in the past, may have only been associated with facilities outside our area."

Typically, surgeons operate on patients through large incisions; however, robotic surgery allows the surgeon to work from a computer console and use robotic arms to make small incisions designed to reduce scarring, recovery time, post-operative pain and risk of infection, according to TRMC.

From the console, the surgeon can guide robotic arms with attached instruments and a small camera through the incisions to the surgical area. The surgeon can view the camera feed on the computer console and has the capability of magnifying the images of organs and other structures in the body by up to 10 times. The surgeon also uses the console to transmit finger movement to the instrument tips on the robotic arms, which then mimic the movement of the surgeon's hands and wrists, providing the surgeon with ambidextrous capability and surgical precision.

"Minimally invasive surgery is already the standard of care for many surgical procedures," Ahmad said. "The surgical robot takes minimally invasive surgery a step further allowing surgeons a greater range of motion, enhanced dexterity and greater precision and control."

The robotic surgical system at TRMC can be utilized for general surgeries, gynecological procedures, prostatectomies and is available to qualifying patients, according to the hospital.

Patients interested in the TRMC robotic surgical system should contact their physician, or call 281-704-7777 for a physician referral.