St. Luke's Robotic Surgery 20th Anniversary Open House

St. Luke’s Hospital is inviting the community to an open house to celebrate two decades of providing robotic surgery to the community. The event will include a demonstration of robotics technology and a chance to meet some of the surgeons and members of St. Luke’s robotic surgery team. Light refreshments will be provided.

• WHO: All community members are invited
• WHAT: St. Luke's Robotic Surgery 20th Anniversary Open House & Demonstration
• WHEN: Sunday, December 7, 1-3 p.m.
• WHERE: St. Luke's Hospital SurgiCare Lobby (2nd Floor), 1026 A. Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids

DIRECTIONS TO SURGICARE:

1. Go north on A Ave NE toward Coe College.
2. Pass St. Luke's Emergency Department entrance and pass the A Ave entrance to the hospital.
3. Turn left into the East entrance of the hospital (side of the hospital closest to Coe Rd. and across from the Center for Women's and Children's Health Butterfly Garden).
4. Proceed to the parking ramp behind St. Luke's Hospital, and park on Levels 3 or 4.
5. The SurgiCare entrance is approximately in the center hospital's back side, visible from Interstate 380, and it is accessible from Level 4 of the parking ramp.
6. Once you enter the SurgiCare entrance, you will cross a skywalk, and take an elevator to the second floor of the hospital, which will be the SurgiCare lobby.

St. Luke’s was the first hospital in Cedar Rapids to offer robotic surgery, performing the area’s first procedure in 2005. To date, surgeons at St. Luke’s have used robotic technology for approximately 15,000 procedures. They are trained in more than 50 minimally invasive robotic-assisted procedures. Some of these include surgeries for weight loss (bariatric); colon and rectal cancer; hysterectomies; hip and knee replacement; prostate cancer; and lung cancer biopsies. St. Luke’s is also one of the few hospitals in the state to offer robotic thoracic surgery for lung cancer lobectomies and single port robotic technology, which allows surgeons to perform urologic procedures through a single incision.

Robotic surgery is minimally invasive, performed through tiny incisions. A small, flexible, high-definition 3D camera provides close-up views of areas not visible during traditional methods of surgery. Surgeons use a special console with hand and foot controls to move the robot arm and manipulate surgical instruments. The robot translates the surgeons’ natural hand motions at the control console into corresponding movements of the robotic arm, giving them greater dexterity and control than is possible with conventional laparoscopic instruments.

Compared to traditional techniques, robotic surgery drastically reduces patients' time in the hospital and their risk of infections. Following robotic surgery, patients have reported less pain; experienced less blood loss and needed fewer transfusions; recovered faster; resumed normal activities sooner; and had fewer complications. In addition, robotic orthopedic surgery provides precise placement of implants, giving patients better joint mobility.