Florida Hospital Tampa is the First in Tampa to Perform Single-Site Incision Robotic Surgery to Remove Gallbladder

Florida Hospital Tampa is the First in Tampa to Perform Single-Site Incision Robotic Surgery to Remove Gallbladder

<0> Florida Hospital TampaPhoebe Ochman, 813-615-7074 (direct)Director of PR & Marketing813-266-0435 (pager)orLauren Key, 813-615-7420 (direct)Vice President of Marketing </0>

Today, Florida Hospital Tampa performed its first single-site incision robotic surgery procedure to remove a gallbladder, the first of its kind in the Tampa Bay area. Thanks to the latest breakthrough in minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery techniques, patients can now have their gallbladder removed in about the same amount of time as a lunch break, and be home in time for dinner with minimal discomfort and virtually no visible scar. The surgery can be performed in less than one hour with a typical hospital stay of four to six hours.

Earl W. McAllister, MD, a general surgeon at Florida Hospital Tampa, is among an elite group of surgeons in the United States and the first in the Tampa Bay area to perform a robotic-assisted cholecystectomy, also called gallbladder removal surgery, using a single incision through the belly button.

Conventional laparoscopic surgery for this procedure typically requires 4 small incisions in order to perform the procedure. “Using single-site robotic-assisted gallbladder surgery means we only have to make one incision that is less than an inch in length to successfully perform the procedure,” said Dr. McAllister. “The advantages include minimal scarring, less pain, less bleeding, faster recovery time and a shorter hospital stay.” McAllister estimates that 50% of his patients who are good candidates for conventional laparoscopic surgery are now candidates for the new single site robotic-assisted surgery with the aid of the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System.

Each year, about one million people in the United States will undergo gallbladder removal surgery and 40% are women, ages 18 to 44. In the Tampa Bay area alone, there were nearly 9,722 gallbladder removal surgeries performed in 2010. “Providing our patients with minimally invasive surgical procedures that utilize state-of-the-art equipment like the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System underscores our commitment to quality patient care while enhancing patient safety,” said John Harding, president and chief executive officer for Florida Hospital Tampa.

Intuitive Surgical, Inc., manufacturer of the da Vinci® System, received FDA-approval in December 2011 for single-site advanced cholecystectomy procedures. Surgeons at Florida Hospital Tampa utilize the system for a variety of minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgical procedures, including cardiovascular, general, gynecological and urological surgery. The hospital purchased its first da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System in 2009 and added a second one in 2011.

Florida Hospital Tampa is a not-for-profit 475-bed tertiary hospital specializing in cardiovascular medicine, neuroscience, orthopaedics, women’s services, pediatrics, oncology, endocrinology, bariatrics, wound healing, sleep medicine and general surgery including minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic-assisted procedures. Also located at Florida Hospital Tampa is the renowned Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, a recognized leader in cardiovascular disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and leading-edge research. Part of the Adventist Health System, Florida Hospital is a leading health network comprised of 22 hospitals throughout the state. For more information, visit .