Contact: Norm Botsford
(520) 741-6915
nbotsford@uph.org
Sanjay Ramakumar
(520) 626-2016
sramakum@email.arizona.edu
The da Vinci ® system incorporates advancements in robotics and computer technology, to give surgeons precise control of instruments and three-dimensional views with more detail than traditional open surgery. The instruments and 3-D cameras are introduced into the patient through small incisions, about the size of a keyhole. A special console gives the surgeon magnified 3-D views of the procedure. Precise computer-enhanced controls manipulate tiny surgical instruments in a natural manner that mimic the hands of the surgeon.
The da Vinci ® system will initially be used for radical prostatectomies. Prostate cancer is the leading type of cancer in men. It is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American males with over 40,000 deaths each year in the U.S. Prostate removal is the most common procedure performed on men with prostate cancer. Typically it is performed through large, open surgical incisions. Open surgery often results in lengthy, uncomfortable recovery and a significant risk of impotence and/or incontinence. The da Vinci surgical system at UPH Hospital provides a minimally invasive alternative to open prostate surgery. It is the only operative robotic system approved by the FDA for laparoscopic radical prostatectomies.
With the da Vinci ® surgical system, the procedure is performed through five small incisions. The surgeon's view and exact instrument control allows for the removal of the prostate with less chance of damage to important nerves that can cause impotence or incontinence. The minimally invasive technique provides a number of benefits to the patient including decreased blood loss, less postoperative pain, reduced scarring and a faster return to normal activities.
 Sanjay Ramakumar, M.D.  Jonathan R. Walker, M.D. | Procedures will initially be performed by UPH Physicians Sanjay Ramakumar, M.D. and Jonathan R. Walker, M.D. Dr. Ramakumar is director of Minimally Invasive Urologic Surgery at the University of Arizona Department of Surgery. Dr. Walker is assistant professor of clinical surgery at the University of Arizona Health Science Center. Also on the surgical team are nurses Lesta Beattie-Manning R.N., M.S., a 28-year operating room veteran, Deb Childers, R.N., C.N.O.R. with over 12 years experience as a circulating and charge nurse, and Ronda Lowther, C.S.T. a certified surgical technologist for over five years. "The da Vinci ® is the only system of its kind in Southern Arizona," said Dr. Ramakumar. "With the compelling patient benefits associated with this advanced minimally invasive surgery, we expect to see a rapid growth in this type of procedure at UPH Kino." Ramakumar added that this year more than 10,000 prostatectomies worldwide will be performed using the robotically assisted system. Dr. Ramakumar was on the team that performed Tucson's first laparoscopic prostate removal surgery in 2003. He joined the UA after completing a fellowship in laparoscopy and endourology in 2001 at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. After earning his medical degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City in 1994, Dr. Ramakumar completed his internship in general surgery in 1995 and residency training in urologic surgery in 2000 at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. More information and consultations are available by calling (520) 694-7670. Additional details are also available at www.uph.org. UPH Hospital at Kino Campus is operated by University Physicians Healthcare. UPH is a non-profit corporation created in 1985 as the medical practice of the physicians of the UA College of Medicine. Together, UPH, the University of Arizona, UPH Hospital at Kino Campus and University Medical Center combine to care for patients, educate medical students, train young physicians and conduct clinical research. With over 350 physicians and 1,250 staff, UPH is Arizona's largest physicians group.
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