Page 18 - Scene Magazine 46-04 April 2021

Health Scene
BY DR. DAVID BARTHOLOMEW
Bronson General Surgery Specialists, Bronson Battle Creek Hospital
Many surgeries that once involved large open incisions with long recoveries can now be performed in much less invasive ways. The smaller the incision, the less disruption to skin and muscle, which results in quicker recovery and less pain for the patient.
Some of the most frequently per- formed procedures are gallbladder removal and hernia repair, but the da Vinci is also used in a large number of surgical specialties including:
Additionally, the da Vinci® Surgi- cal System offers the surgeon a highly
Bronson is a leader in robotic surgery in Southwest Michigan and remains committed to staying on the forefront
of surgical innovation. To learn more about robotic surgery at Bronson, speak with your doctor or visit bronsonhealth. com/roboticsurgery.
Advanced Technology Enables Bronson Surgeons to Perform Minimally Invasive Surgeries
Technology has and continues to change our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined a generation ago. Advances in the world of surgery are no different.
magnified, 3D high-definition view that would not be possible with the human eye. Due to the precision of the robot, many procedures that could not be done laparoscopically, due to complexity, can now be done using only small incisions. As a result, many patients go home the same day or the next rather than being in the hospital for days.
A traditional open surgery involves a large incision to allow the surgeon to see and perform the procedure. When laparoscopic surgery was introduced, surgery became minimally invasive requiring only small incisions for the surgeon to insert instruments inside the body.
• Cardiothoracic
• Colon & Rectal
• Obstetrics & Gynecology • Orthopedics
• Urology
With the advent of robotic sur-
gery, the newest type of laparoscopic surgery, even fewer small incisions
are necessary. In these procedures, the surgeon guides robotic surgical instru- ments using a high definition computer monitor. At Bronson, surgeons use the da Vinci® Surgical System to robotical- ly move surgical instruments, mim- icking the surgeon’s hand movements within a much smaller space. The tiny da Vinci® hands act just like the sur- geon’s hands, but with an even greater range of motion.
In general, minimally invasive surgery results in less blood loss during surgery, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker healing time for patients.
Bronson Battle Creek has used the da Vinci® Surgical System since 2014. We are currently using the most advanced, third generation, da Vinci® XI Surgical System. Each advancement in robotic assisted surgery brings improvements that allow this minimally invasive type of surgery to be offered in more and different cases with more patients.
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SCENE 4604 I WOMEN IN BUSINESS
In late 2018, Intuitive Surgical, Inc., creators of the da Vinci® Surgical System, recognized Bronson Battle Creek surgeons, Dr. David Bartholomew and Dr. Patrick Sweeney for their milestones in surgical procedures using the da Vinci® Surgical System. Dr. Bartholomew (left) for his 500th da Vinci® surgical procedure and Dr. Sweeney (right) for his 100th. Since their recognition from Intuitive Surgical, Inc. in 2018, Dr. Bartholomew has performed approximately 130 more surgeries and Dr. Sweeney nearly 40.
David Bartholomew, MD, is a board certified general surgeon at Bronson General Surgery Specialists in Battle Creek. As a general surgeon, he performs a number of surgeries and services including hernia repair, gallblad- der surgery, surgery for reflux, colon and small bowel surgery, thyroid surgery, and more. Dr. Bartholomew can be reached at (269) 245-8310.
In general, minimally invasive surgery results in less blood loss during surgery, a shorter hospital stay, and a quicker healing time for patients.