Keith S. - A Patient Testimonial

Robotic Surgery Success

Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has acquired the da Vinci Xi Surgical System that utilizes advanced robotic, computer and optical technologies to assist specialty trained surgeons.  The only one of its kind in the Santa Clarita Valley, the da Vinci System allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control.  It includes a 3D high-definition (3D-HD) vision system that gives a surgeon a close-up view of the area he or she is operating on.

Henry Mayo physician Sevan Stepanian, MD performed the first surgery using the da Vinci XI system.  “Robotic-assisted surgery has many benefits,” he said, “including smaller incisions, less blood loss, less pain, and faster recovery times.”  Dr. Stepanian is fellowship trained in minimally invasive and robotic surgery.

Surgeons control 100% of the movement of the da Vinci System, which translates their hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments.  It can be used across a spectrum of minimally invasive surgical procedures and has been optimized for multi-quadrant surgeries.  Additional key features of the system include intuitive motion and an ergonomic design.

Having this technology available strengthens Henry Mayo’s mission to improve the health of the Santa Clarita Valley.  “Patients are always our priority, and they are the primary reason for the hospital investing in this technology,” said Larry Kidd, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.  “We are very responsive to the requests of patients and to the preferences of our surgeons who are asking for this state-of-the-art equipment.”

Keith S., a recent da Vinci patient, experienced the benefits of this advanced system first-hand.  “Upon learning that I would need surgery, and that da Vinci robotic surgery was my best option, finding a qualified surgeon was critical,” he says.  “With the help of a colleague who had already benefited from da Vinci, I researched practitioners and chose Sevan Stepanian, MD at Henry Mayo because of his premier fellowship training in da Vinci, and his demeanor.”

Patients have reported high satisfaction rates with the use of robotic surgery. In looking back on his experience, Keith said that he couldn’t be more pleased with the procedure, and his rapid recovery.  “I was back at work two weeks after my surgery.  The care at Henry Mayo was terrific and Dr. Stepanian is a credit to his profession.  I recommend robotic surgery to anyone who qualifies.”

Henry Mayo physicians currently use the da Vinci Xi Surgical System for general surgery (e.g. gall bladder operations,) urology procedures and Ob/GYN oncology procedures and will expand into other procedures in the future.