Morris Hospital has further expanded its robotic-assisted surgery capabilities with the addition of an Intuitive da Vinci 5 (DV5) surgical system.

The hospital said in a Monday news release that it is the most advanced da Vinci system available, and it has been associated with improved patient outcomes, including shorter hospital stays, faster recoveries, and reduced risk of complications.

“We are thrilled to bring this advanced technology to Grundy County,” said Tom Dohm, President & CEO of Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers. “Along with supporting our commitment to providing high-quality, excellent care for patients, investing in the da Vinci 5 is another important step toward enhancing the surgical capabilities at Morris Hospital.”

According to Shara Harris, Director of Surgical Services at Morris Hospital, the DV5 will be used for minimally invasive gynecology and general surgeries such as hernia repair, gallbladder surgery, colorectal surgery, hysterectomy, fibroid removal, pelvic organ prolapse and endometriosis resection.

Harris said while the term robotic implies a robot is performing the surgery, that’s not the case here.

“The surgeon still performs the surgery, with the da Vinci 5 system extending the capabilities of the surgeon’s eyes and hands beyond what the human body allows,” said Harris. “The system is designed to allow surgeons to feel more and see more.”

The surgeon is in the operating room with the patient and performs the procedure while looking through a console that provides a view of the surgical field in 3DHD, giving a clear view of the surgical area magnified 10 times beyond what the human eye can see. According to the news release, the surgeon is 100% in control of the DV5, using their hands to control a camera and tiny surgical instruments while operating through incisions that range in size from 8 to 13 millimeters, about the size of a fingertip.

The system also has a built in tremor-filtration technology that helps the surgeon move each instrument with enhanced precision, along with force feedback and instruments that enable to surgeon to sense and measure the force exerted on the tissue. According to the news release, this technology translates to gentler surgery for patients.

According to the news release, robotic-assisted surgery has become a standard for many types of surgeries, and Dohm said it was necessary to invest in the $2.5 million surgical system.

“In 2024, we added Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted surgery that is designed solely for orthopedic cases,” Dohm said. “Investing in the da Vinci 5 enables us to give surgeons in other specialties the advanced technology needed to perform robotic-assisted surgery.”

He said the DV5 allows Morris Hospital to expand its surgical capabilities and specialties.

“This is yet another example of our commitment to providing high-quality, excellent care to meet the evolving needs of patients and physicians,” Dohm said.

Morris Hospital said in the news release that it has made a number of enhancements to its surgical services over the last few yars, including opening the surgical services suite in 2023, which had three new operating rooms, a new sterile processing area where surgical instruments are cleaned, new ambulatory surgery rooms, and a new surgery waiting room. It added the Mako robotic arm for orthopedics in 2024, and built new endoscopy rooms. The hospital increased its staff from 1.5 to four full-time general surgeons.

For more information about surgery at Morris Hospital and the DV5 surgical system, visit morrishospital.org/davinci.