Watertown Regional Medical Center Now Offering Robot-Assisted Surgery

Watertown, WI – Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) is now offering robotic-assisted surgery using the da Vinci® X™ robotic surgical system. This addition to the operating room provides surgeons and patients with another option for minimally invasive general and gynecological surgeries, including hernia repair, gallbladder surgery, hysterectomies, endometriosis, and more.

“We are excited to announce we’ve received our da Vinci X surgical system and have already started using it to enhance patient care,” said Richard Keddington, CEO, Watertown Regional Medical Center. “The addition of robotic surgery gives residents of Watertown and the surrounding communities close access to the most technologically advanced care available.”

Robotic surgery is designed to enhance a surgeon’s capabilities and much like a doctor uses an MRI or CT scan to “see” inside the body, the da Vinci system is used by surgeon’s to extend the capabilities of their eyes and hands, while maintaining complete control throughout the surgical process.

“The da Vinci system is a high-tech tool we use to perform minimally invasive surgeries,” said Dr. Jason McMaster, OB-GYN at the Center for Women’s Health. “It gives us a greater range of motion, magnified and clearer views of the operating area, and reduces the torque on a patient, resulting in less pain and quicker recoveries.”

The decision of whether or not a surgery is performed with robotic assistance is made by the patient, with input by the surgeon.

“I walk each patient through all of the surgical options, including open surgery, traditional lacroscopic surgery, and robotic-assisted surgery,” said Dr. McMaster. “I also give them information to read about these options so they can make an informed decision that best suits their situation.”

Some of the benefits to patients who choose to utilize the robotic technology include; less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays, faster recoveries, quicker return to normal activities, less risk of infection, less blood loss and fewer blood transfusions, less scarring, and fewer wound complications.

Currently, there are two surgeons at Watertown Regional Medical Center who are fully-trained on using the da Vinci system for robotic-assisted surgery. Dr. McMaster has performed hundreds of gynecological surgeries using this technique and Dr. Garrett Fleming is trained in and has performed general surgeries. Two additional surgeon’s, Dr. Adam Dachman and Dr. Danish Siddiqui, are completing their training.

If you’re wondering about whether or not robotic surgery is right for you and your situation, talk to your provider. For more information about robotic-assisted surgery, please visit watertownregional.com/robotic-surgery or davincisurgery.com.

About Watertown Regional Medical Center

Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) has been providing the residents of Dodge and Jefferson counties with excellent healthcare for over 100 years. By placing patients’ needs first, WRMC’s services have grown to include Emergency and Urgent Care, Primary Care, Women’s Health, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Heart and Vascular, General Surgery, Neurology, Pulmonology, Ophthalmology, Mental & Behavioral Health and many other services. For more information and to see a complete list of the services offered, visit www.watertownregional.com.