“Meet The Robot” at Portneuf Medical Center welcomes community to try Da Vinci 5 Surgery Robot

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello hosted the "Meet the Robot" open house, where visitors could see and use the Da Vinci 5 medical robot. The robot is used in surgeries, particularly for hernias and abdominal operations. Children and people of all ages were able to cosplay as a surgeon and operate on plastic pieces, emulating a surgery.

"It's interesting because if you're looking at a crane and you want to operate it, you're looking at a cool device and want to use it, we never really get a chance to," said Dr. Jorge, a general and trauma surgeon at Portneuf. "This is the time that you can see how the robot works and take out the fear of having robotic surgery because we control the robot, and then patients and families have a chance to actually use it and see how it works."

The robot used for the event is a demo robot, not the one used in the operating room at Portneuf, to ensure the community doesn't come in contact with OR equipment.

The surgeons at Portneuf gave a presentation about the robot and how it helps with efficiency and recovery for operations. The optics on the robot are better than the naked human eye. Dr. Jorge showed the audience the writing on a five-dollar bill using the robotic optics broadcast onto a screen.

People could maneuver the different tools the robot has, placing tiny elastics on plastic mountains and unwrapping candies. By placing fingers into the VR-type operating hand-holds, the arms and tools on the robot become one with the surgeon's movements.

"It's a very unique thing that not a lot of other professions get to do, especially being able to practice on it," Dr Jorge said.

Dr. Roberts explained that up-and-coming surgeons complete a full training certification to use the Da Vinci 5, the latest technology for these kinds of surgeries. Roberts has been to the headquarters in California to receive training later in his career. He also said the robot has overall decreased costs for the hospital, as patients are leaving sooner and not returning with complications after surgery.

The amount of robotic surgeries being done in the United States is increasing rapidly, but the fear around them remains. Events like these, where the OR is opened up to the public, can help ease fears people have and show them the surgeon is always in control; the robot cannot operate on its own.

"It's important we try to minimize the gap in knowledge between the community and us," Dr. Jorge said. "We need to let them know it's a great tool, but we are in control of that tool to make your procedure safer, better, with less pain and an earlier return to work, all of that."

Portneuf Medical Center says that connecting with the community is an important piece of their mission.

"We love inviting community members to our campus to meet our team of experts, learn about the services we offer, and see the technology we use," said Katie Damron Quayle, director of marketing at Portneuf Medical Center. "We strive to provide attendees with memorable experiences, and our Meet the Robot event achieved that by allowing people of all ages in the community an opportunity to interface with our surgeons and have a rare, hands-on experience with a surgical robot."

For future community events similar to Meet the Robot, follow Portneuf Medical Center on Facebook.