Robot-assisted surgery to be topic of April 18 open house at Oaklawn’s Coldwater office

COLDWATER – The public is invited to learn about robot-assisted surgery during an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 18, to be held at the Oaklawn Medical Group’s office at 375 N. Willowbrook Road.

The event, sponsored by the general surgery office of Marshall-based Oaklawn, will feature free hernia screenings and an opportunity to receive an informative introduction to Oaklawn’s da Vinci Xi Surgical System, which is used in surgeries that call for a minimally invasive approach. 

In addition to the equipment — which will be on display and available for public interaction — Oaklawn general surgeons Catherine Burtrum, D.O., Dr. Theresa Klee, D.O., and Andrew Worden, M.D., are expected to be present.

The physicians will answer questions about their practices as well as robot-assisted surgery using the da Vinci equipment.

“The da Vinci has changed my practice for my patients in so many positive ways,” said Burtrum, who is Oaklawn’s chief of surgery. “Patients can get state-of-the-art technology close to home.”

The minimally invasive surgical method also helps patients recover quicker and with less pain, she said.

The da Vinci system, manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, is used for a variety of surgeries, including those involving hernias and issues related to the gall bladder, colon and intestines.

“The da Vinci has allowed us to perform more minimally invasive procedures on a wider selection of patients, with the goal that the technology will allow us to expand the types of procedures we will be able to offer in the future,” Klee said.

“I have seen patients able to go home quicker from the hospital with less narcotics,” Burtrum said. “The visualization and articulation the robotic system provides us far outweighs previous laparoscopic techniques. We even are able to perform common surgeries such as hernias in a completely different way that is far superior to old techniques.”

Information about Oaklawn’s use of the da Vinci system may be found online at oaklawnhospital.org/services/surgical-services/da-vinci-xi. Information about Oaklawn’s general surgery service line may be found at oaklawnhospital.org/services/general-surgery.