The Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center recently became one of the first facilities in the nation to perform a hysterectomy using a new single-site platform for robotic surgery.

“This single-site robotic platform provides surgeons with the increased dexterity, control and high-definition 3-D vision found with traditional robotic surgery, as well as the added benefit of performing the operation through a single, nearly invisible scar hidden in the navel,” Thomas Payne, M.D., medical director of the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery, said. “This surgery underscores the Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery’s commitment to providing patients with the highest level of surgical care using the most advanced minimally invasive surgical options.”

Dr. Payne, along with Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery members Devin Garza, M.D.; Lisa Jukes, M.D.; and Sherry Neyman, M.D., recently performed the procedure–which involves the removal of a woman’s uterus–on six patients following FDA approval of this revolutionary platform for hysterectomies. Using a single incision that is approximately two centimeters in length, the system enables surgeons to remove the uterus through the belly button in less than 60 minutes. Previously, hysterectomies required one large incision for open surgery or multiple small incisions for traditional laparoscopic surgery.

The Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery was selected to be among the first in the nation to use this new platform. It will become available to physicians in other parts of the United States during the next few months.

The Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center was launched in March 2011. It features an educational epicenter teaching best practices for hospital leadership, surgeons and surgical teams involved in the delivery of robotic-assisted da Vinci surgery. The Texas Institute for Robotic Surgery is an international treatment, training and research center that combines excellence in robotic-assisted surgery and outcomes with education and training.