Hospital Damas in Ponce is ‘test driving’ $2M robotic surgery system
A group of specialist doctors, including gynecologists, urologists and surgeons from the Damas Hospital in Ponce ran “test drives” on the daVinci Xi robotic surgery system, which the hospital is looking to acquire at a cost of $2 million to expand services provided to 12 municipalities in the southern region.
Last month, the Damas Hospital announced the request for the Certificate of Necessity and Convenience (CNC) granted by the Health Department, to complete the process of the planned acquisition of daVinci, which is described as an integrated technology for robot-assisted surgery, manufactured by a company called Intuitive.
The equipment will be bought and paid for with a donation from Fundación Damas Inc., parent company of Hospital Damas Inc., institution officials said.
“The DaVinci, one of the first minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgical systems approved by the FDA, will allow us to expand our services to the community in the region we serve that includes Ponce and 11 other municipalities,” said Pedro Benítez, medical director of the Damas Hospital.
“It can be used by general surgeons, gynecologists, urologists and colorectal surgeons in complex procedures that are difficult to execute through traditional surgery or laparoscopic surgery with more precise results,” Benítez said.
“Residents of Ponce and the southern zone will no longer have to travel far from their homes, with the expenses that this represents in times of a health crisis or emergency, to get this service. Surgical robots are not new in Puerto Rico. However, having it available in the area will provide comfort to southern-area residents who currently must travel to the north of the island for this type of intervention,” said Mariano McConnie-Angel, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Damas Hospital.
