FRENCH CAMP, Calif. — A hospital in San Joaquin County is celebrating some new groundbreaking technology. San Joaquin General Hospital surgeons are the first in Northern California and Nevada to get a new surgical robot called Intuitive Da Vinci 5.
The hospital has been using the Da Vinci 4 since 2017 and in that time, it's assisted more than 1,000 surgeries. "It's important to provide our patients with the latest technology," said Dr. Bassem Ghobrial, a colorectal surgeon at the hospital.
Ghobrial also noted that the new tech is just an instrument for surgeons to use—not a replacement. "It's not automated in any way. The surgeon controls everything with the hands in order to do the surgery in a minimally invasive fashion," he said.
The hospital said robotic surgery has a track record indicating improved outcomes in specific procedures compared to traditional open surgeries or laparoscopic procedures. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter.
