CASPER, Wyo. (Dec. 10, 2024) – The first surgeries using the new da Vinci 5 surgical system for robotic-assisted surgery have been performed at Banner Wyoming Medical Center, the first hospital in Wyoming to use the system.
“We are thrilled to become first hospital in Wyoming with the latest, greatest da Vinci 5,” said Lance Porter, chief executive officer of Banner Wyoming Medical Center. “Surgeons who operate at Banner Wyoming Medical Center have a great deal of experience in robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery and this new tool reflects our commitment to providing access to high-quality, excellent care for our patients.”
The da Vinci 5 is designed to enhance surgeon precision with the goal of improving patient outcomes. More than 150 new enhancements have been developed to support surgeon autonomy and care team efficiency. Banner Wyoming Medical Center was the first hospital in Wyoming to use any da Vinci robotic system, beginning with the da Vinci S in 2008. The S model was replaced with the da Vinci Xi system in 2017.
“We have been using da Vinci technology at Banner Wyoming Medical Center for many years, and the da Vinci 5 will help us expand our surgical program and provide advanced surgical care for our patients,” said Aimee Gough, M.D., the robotic surgery champion for Banner Wyoming Medical Center and surgeon at Wyoming Surgical Associates in Casper. “We’ll continue to use our existing da Vinci system alongside the new da Vinci 5.”
Joy Anderson was the first patient to have a procedure done with Dr. Gough on Dec. 2. She moved to Casper from Rock Springs about four years ago and is impressed with the level of technology offered at Banner Wyoming Medical Center.
“I didn’t expect Casper to have something like this,” she said. “I feel like it majorly improved my recovery time. I literally have no pain since I left the hospital. I feel like I could go run a marathon, even though I know I shouldn’t.”
The new system complements the hospital’s existing robotic surgery technology, which enables surgeons to make smaller incisions which may decrease recovery time. Dr. Gough and several other surgeons began training on the system in November. It will be used across many specialties, including general surgery, urology, gynecology and more.
"It's not so different to learn, just a lot of refinements," said Dr. Gough. "I'm pretty excited, it's been a big team effort, and all came together quickly."
This system enables surgeons to feel more and see more during procedures with a next-generation 3D display and image processing. The da Vinci 5 provides new surgeon controllers, making their movements smoother and more precise. In addition, the new system has innovative features that help streamline surgeon and care team workflow with an optimized user interface.
“As a Level II Trauma Center, we care for everyone from complex traumas to major cardiac events and everything in between,” said Porter. “We look forward to using the new system to continue our mission to care for Wyoming.”
As with previous da Vinci models, the da Vinci 5 can be used across a wide spectrum of minimally-invasive surgical procedures. Patient benefits may include reduced trauma to the body, shorter hospital stays, reduced blood loss, less post-operative pain and discomfort, less risk of infection and less scarring.
“This system is a step forward in robotic surgery,” said Gough. “I am excited to be the first team in Wyoming to have this technology available to our patients.”
About Banner Wyoming Medical Center
Banner Wyoming Medical Center is part of Banner Health and is Wyoming's largest hospital with 249 beds on two campuses. It is one of Wyoming’s most comprehensive hospitals and offers a range of inpatient and outpatients services including emergency services, Level II trauma care, heart care, women and infant services, neurological care and more. It is Casper's only full-service, non-profit hospital. Banner Health is one of the largest, secular nonprofit health care systems in the country. Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health has locations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com.
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Captions:
DaVinci 1: Aimee Gough, M.D., attends a training session to learn about the changes included with the new da Vinci 5 system on Nov. 20. Banner Wyoming Medical Center has been using da Vinci robotic systems for many years.
DaVinci 2: Aimee Gough, M.D., sits at the surgeon's console of the new da Vinci 5 robotic surgery system during a training session on Nov. 20.
DV5system: The da Vinci 5 surgical system has more than 150 new enhancements developed to support surgeon autonomy and care team efficiency. Banner Wyoming Medical Center is the first hospital in Wyoming to acquire the system and began using the system for procedures on Dec. 2.
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