It has just become a little easier for Dr. Todd Hansen to help some men with prostate cancer or other urological problems.

A new robotics system at Wyoming Medical Center offers faster recovery time, less pain and less blood loss to men who need prostatectomies to remove part or all of their prostate, Hansen said.

"It's a fascinating machine," said Hansen, a urologist at Central Wyoming Urology. "It definitely enhances your ability to do surgery."

The machine allows surgeons to perform certain surgeries laproscopically, or with small incisions, that had to be done with a large, open incision in the past. Before robotics, prostatectomies were almost never done laproscopically.

With the machine, a da Vinci Surgical System, the surgeon moves his hands at a console next to the patient, and a machine with four arms positioned over the patient replicates the movements of the surgeon. The console also contains a video screen which allows the surgeon to see where he is operating.

Hansen said it improves wrist movement and vision of the surgery site for doctors.

Surgeons like Hansen will begin using the robot during certain surgeries in several weeks after they train on the machine. Gynecologists, cardiac surgeons and general surgeons will also be trained to perform different procedures, including hysterectomies and heart by-pass surgery.

"A whole team of surgeons will be using it," Hansen said.

The hospital received the robot early last week after Nancy Brandt, chief financial officer, asked the hospital's board of directors during a September meeting to approve the purchase of it three months earlier than originally planned.

Board members already approved the $1.8 million purchase, but the hospital wasn't scheduled to buy it until January 2009.

Brandt explained the hospital wanted to buy it early because it would be more expensive in January.

"We have requests coming from the urologists," she said. "We want to be the first in the region."

It is the first da Vinci system in the state and Montana. Also, the western regions of Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota lack this type of technology, according to Brandt.

Brandt said the machine wouldn't create new revenue immediately, but if the hospital didn't buy a robotics system, "we would see the outsourcing of this existing business to another state," like Colorado.

"We really think it will be the standard of care," Brandt said.

Hansen said some surgeons might have the notion that it is going to be more difficult to use the robot instead of their own hands. But he said, the machine makes it easier for surgeons.

"We are seeing the number of cases done expanding exponentially," Hansen said about a trend toward using robotics for a variety of surgeries. "Urologists kind of stole it out of the field."

Contact health reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.

See da Vinci

What: A public open house and demonstration of Wyoming Medical Center's new da Vinci Surgical System, a robotics machine used for surgery.

Where: Wyoming Medical Center's lobby, right by the main entrance.

When: 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday.

For more information: Contact Shauna VanderLinden at (307) 577-2536.

What: A public open house and demonstration of Wyoming Medical Center's new da Vinci Surgical System, a robotics machine used for surgery.

Where: Wyoming Medical Center's lobby, right by the main entrance.

When: 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday.

For more information: Contact Shauna VanderLinden at (307) 577-2536.]]->