Sharp Memorial Hospital receives da Vinci 5 surgical robot

April 1, 2024

To enhance surgical robotic care and provide advanced surgical options to patients throughout San Diego, Sharp Memorial Hospital has become the first hospital in the County and one of the first in the world to receive and utilize the da Vinci 5 robot from Intuitive Surgical, a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery. 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. Dr. Pamela Lee, Chair of the Department of Surgery at Sharp Memorial Hospital, and Dr. Afshin Bahador, gynecological oncologist at Sharp Memorial Hospital, performed robotic-assisted surgeries using the new da Vinci 5 on Friday, March 29, in the main operating room at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

“We are thrilled to be one of the first hospitals in California — and one of only 14 health systems in the world — that have early access to the new da Vinci 5 robot before its wide release,” says Christopher Walker, Chief Operating Officer at Sharp Memorial Hospital. “We are excited for our surgeons to have access to tools they need to deliver world class care.”

Walker added Sharp’s investment in advanced technology aligns with the health system’s vision to make Sharp the best place to work, practice medicine and receive care. Robotic-assisted surgery provides many benefits to patients, including shorter hospital stays; less blood loss, infection and scarring; and faster recovery.

The da Vinci 5 is Sharp Memorial’s 14th surgical robot on campus. It provides a wealth of advancements that help its surgical teams care for patients, including improved accuracy and precision, force-sensing technology that enables surgeons to feel pressure exerted on tissue during surgery, workflow enhancements to help increase surgeon autonomy and streamline workflows, and a redesigned console to help Sharp surgeons customize their position for the optimal fit for surgical viewing and comfort.

“We utilized the da Vinci 5 on a colon surgery on Friday, and the experience was better than I had hoped,” says Dr. Lee. “The ability to feel the tissue and control more aspects of the operation from the console was revolutionary. I am excited, and proud, that Sharp will the first health care system in San Diego to be able to offer this unparalleled technology to our patients and our community. Surgery is about to be elevated to a new echelon and we are on the frontlines of that transformation."

“The da Vinci 5 platform takes robotic surgery to another level” says Dr. Bahador, who also performed a surgery on Friday using the new da Vinci 5. “There is a long list of new features that allow me to perform surgery with even more enhanced 3-D visualization, more responsive instrumentation resulting in more precise and delicate tissue handling, and features that improve efficiency in the operating room. As a surgeon, I am very excited to have this new surgical tool to perform higher quality and more efficient surgery on our patients with complex gynecologic and gynecologic oncology conditions.”

Since 2013, Sharp Memorial’s expert clinical teams have completed more than 23,000 robotic surgeries on its campus. Additionally, its decades-long expertise has earned Sharp Memorial a Network of Excellence in Robotic Surgery designation by Surgical Review Corporation, among other prestigious accolades.

“We are pleased to continue to support Sharp and our other customers with mature robotic surgery programs during this early phase of Intuitive’s da Vinci 5 launch,” said Intuitive Chief Medical Officer Myriam Curet, M.D. “We share Sharp’s goals of improving patient outcomes and the patient experience, improving the surgeon and care team experience, and ultimately lowering the total cost to treat. Sharp’s experience with this system will help inform us on the features that bring the most value to our customers.”