Mary Washington Healthcare First in Central Virginia to Receive da Vinci 5 Surgical Robots

Fredericksburg, VA, (October 3, 2024) – Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) is enhancing surgical robotic care and providing advanced surgical options to patients in the Fredericksburg region by being the first healthcare system in central Virginia and among the first in the world to utilize the da Vinci 5 robot from Intuitive Surgical. The da Vinci 5 is the fifth-generation multiport robotic system, which has been decades in the making and boasts more than 150 enhancements since its last iteration.

MWHC’s first surgical procedures with the da Vinci 5 robots were completed this week by Avinash Narayana, DO, FACS, at Mary Washington Hospital, and Kurian Thott, MD, FACOG, at Stafford Hospital.

This investment in the da Vinci 5 robots reaffirms MWHC’s commitment to providing the highest quality care to its patients. MWHC Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer, Christopher Newman, MD, MBA, emphasizes the importance of this technological advancement in furthering the hospital's mission. "We are dedicated to delivering exceptional healthcare services to our community," says Dr. Newman. "The da Vinci 5 robots will enable us to continue pushing the boundaries of surgical innovation and ensure that our patients receive the highest quality care."

According to the Division Chair of Robotics, Dr. Narayana, Mary Washington General Surgery, "The da Vinci 5 robot is a game-changer in the field of surgical robotics. Its state-of-the-art features, such as the multiport system and advanced imaging capabilities, and tactile feedback, allow us to perform complex procedures with greater precision and efficiency. This technology will undoubtedly benefit our patients and contribute to improved surgical outcomes."

Mary Washington’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) welcomed Justin Kula, DO, and Martin Tafazoli, MD, to the first class of general surgery residency on July 1, 2024. Drs. Kula and Tafazoli will be trained on the da Vinci 5 surgical robot over the next three years of their residency. “We have a very sophisticated robotics program which we are very proud of,” says Dr. Newman, “and having the general residency program up and running takes it one step further in making sure we are providing the best of care for our community now and in the future.”

Both of MWHC’s hospitals offer robotic-assisted procedures that benefit patients with shorter hospital stays; less blood loss, infection, and scarring; and a faster recovery. Mary Washington Hospital introduced its robotics program with a da Vinci robot in 2008 and has continuously upgraded and added technology, including other surgical robots for lung cancer detection and knee and hip replacements. Stafford Hospital introduced its robotic surgery program in late 2023 with the da Vinci Xi robot.

To learn more about the robotics program at Mary Washington and Stafford Hospitals, click here.

For more information about MWHC’s Graduate Medical Education General Surgery Program, click here.

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About Mary Washington Healthcare

Mary Washington Healthcare is a fully integrated, regional healthcare system that provides inpatient and outpatient care at over 60 facilities including Mary Washington Hospital, a 471-bed tertiary hospital, Stafford Hospital, a 100-bed community hospital, four emergency departments, and a multi-specialty graduate medical education program. Mary Washington Healthcare is a non-profit health system with a longstanding commitment to provide care regardless of ability to pay. For more information about our services and facilities, visit mwhc.com.

About Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Intuitive (Nasdaq: ISRG), headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., is a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and a pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery. At Intuitive, our mission statement is we believe that minimally invasive care is life-enhancing care. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints. Intuitive brings more than two decades of leadership in robotic-assisted surgical technology and solutions to its offerings, and develops, manufactures, and markets the da Vinci surgical system and the Ion endoluminal system.