HCA Florida Palms West Hospital recently celebrated its accreditation as Palm Beach County’s first Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery by inviting the public to try their hand at the intricate maneuvers of robotic surgery.
The Robotics Night, hosted at Palm Beach State College’s Loxahatchee Groves campus on July 24, included two of the four surgical robots that are used in the operating room at Palms West Hospital daily.
Palms West Hospital CEO Jason Kimbrell led a panel discussion on the benefits of robotic surgery with general surgeon Dr. James J. Goad, urologist and oncologist Dr. Fred Muhletaler, vascular surgeon Dr. Arul Chidambaram, gynecologist Dr. Colette Brown-Graham, ob/gyn Dr. Aliese Smith and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mamun Al Rashid.
“Collectively, our physicians have performed thousands of robotic surgeries, creating better outcomes for patients throughout our community,” Kimbrell said. “This event is just the beginning of what we hope to be many opportunities for students, teachers and community members to learn more about the technology available in our hospital.”
Palms West has been accredited by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery based on rigorous standards of high-quality care and patient safety. Additionally, Dr. Goad and Dr. Muhletaler have also been accredited by SRC as master surgeons, based on the outcomes of nearly 5,000 robotic surgeries that the surgeons have performed combined.
Robotic surgery is a minimally invasive technique in which a physician sits at a console using a view finder and the tips of their fingers to move the surgical instruments. The technology provides a 3D view through incisions that require little more than a Band-Aid to cover, resulting in a lower risk of infection, faster healing time and shorter hospital stays.
“HCA Florida Palms West Hospital is the robotics hospital,” Kimbrell said. “We are excited to share the state-of-the-art technology we offer with the community.”
