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Guttenberg hospital introduces Rahma, the surgical robot

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From left are O.R. and clinic nurse Sally Schumann, Bill Robinson, who was first to undergo robotic surgery at GMH, Rahma the Robot, and surgeon, Dr. Daniel Mansfield. (Press photo by Molly Moser)

By Molly Moser

There’s a capable new set of hands at Guttenberg Municipal Hospital, and they’re powered by a surgical robot named Rahma. Bill Robinson, branch manager at Community Savings Bank in Garnavillo, was the first to go under the robot’s knife at GMH. The procedure, done by Dr. Daniel Mansfield, would involve just three small incisions and would allow the surgeon to repair the hernia with more precision and less postoperative pain.

“When I met with the surgical staff at Guttenberg Municipal Hospital about my umbilical hernia, the staff explained the normal surgical repair options and inquired if I would like to consider having the procedure done robotically. Dr. Mansfield and O.R./clinic R.N. Sally Schumann explained that the use of the robot was a first at GMH, but that Dr. Mansfield had performed many robotic surgeries in the past,” Robinson told The Press. “After three of my family members having abdominal procedures done, two in the traditional manner and one laparoscopically, the confidence and enthusiasm of the staff in the robotic procedure made the decision an easy one for me. I stayed overnight and was discharged the next day.”

Dr. Mansfield started robotic training while practicing in Madison, Wis. “We started the first robotic surgery program in the Madison area, doing general surgery. We use very tiny incisions to get our instruments through. This has the advantage of less pain, less trauma to the area, and a quicker recovery,” Mansfield explained. 

Surgery staff did six weeks of training after Rahma was purchased in September, and about 15 surgeries have been performed with the robot since then. “Nurses are seeing patients needing less pain medication and checking out within hours,” said CEO Kim Gau.  “Average pain reported on wake up at GMH with robotic surgery, on a scale of one to 10, is three.” Patients also have fewer lifting restrictions after a robot-assisted procedure. The robot can be used for hernia repair, gynecological procedures, fibroid removal, colon resections, gall bladder removal, and many others. 

GMH held a naming contest for the robot and announced the winner during a Jan. 19 open house. The winning name, Rahma, means compassion. It was submitted by first grader Kailey Dempster, daughter of Loren and Becky Dempster. 

Kevin Foster, a robot expert with Intuitive who travels worldwide teaching physicians to properly use robotic equipment, spent the day at GMH giving presentations to elementary students, the Rotary Club, and members of the public. Foster explained the three components of the robot. The vision tower holds the ‘brains,’ or computing equipment, and is connected to Intuitive headquarters in California, where Rahma’s every component was manufactured. “The system runs 1,600 self-diagnostic tests every minute and sends that information to our home office in Sunnyvale, Calif.,” said Foster. The vision tower also includes a large touch-screen that displays the surgery to staff in the operating room.

The second component is the robot itself, or the patient cart. The mobile cart, wheeled up to the operating table, weighs 1,400 pounds and has three to four arms that hold a scope and various surgical instruments. “All of these instruments rotate 540 degrees, their jaws open and close, and there are 150 different instruments for use during surgery. It’s very quick to take an instrument out and use a different one, and it’s not uncommon to use three or more to get a surgery done,” Foster demonstrated.

The final piece of the robot is the surgeon console, where the surgeon controls the robot. “When you sit down at the console, you put your head in a window with two portals, a left eye and a right eye. That’s what gives 3D vision – it’s like having your head inside the patient,” Foster said. The surgeon at the console sees the patient at 10 times magnification, far better than with the naked eye during an open surgery. Surgeons place their fingers into several loops at the console, which translates every hand movement to the instruments in the patient. The camera inside the patient is controlled with a foot pedal, and pedals also add energy or heat to instruments on either hand. 

Robot-assisted surgeries are becoming more common, with 10 new robots added to Iowa hospitals in the past year. Hospitals are seeing lower costs associated with the length of stay, re-admission, complications, and surgical site infections. Costs to patients are no different from laparoscopic surgeries, and reimbursements from insurance companies are the same.

  “I want to congratulate Guttenberg Municipal Hospital staff and board for making the investment in this new equipment to make state of the art medicine available to Clayton County,” Robinson remarked. “The staff at GMH has had a profound impact on my family’s health over the years and we are so thankful to have such a well-equipped hospital and highly trained and caring staff so close to home.”

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