A NEW AGE: How robots enhance patient care at Essentia Health

By Anthony Matt

For years, robotic surgical equipment, powered by artificial intelligence programmed with potentially millions of data points and complex algorithms, has been making its way into health care. Essentia Health is proud to boast several platforms that fit this mold and make patient care safer and more efficient. They also lead to shorter hospital stays, less recovery time and — most importantly — overall better patient outcomes.

From joint replacements to gallbladder surgery and appendectomies, if you have surgery at Essentia, there’s a good chance artificial intelligence will be involved. While it may make some people shudder to think of a robot performing surgery on them, it’s important to note that in almost all cases these are aides for surgeons who program and guide them based on a patient’s individual needs and anatomy. They may be powered by artificial intelligence (AI), but surgeons are responsible for nearly all their movements. Because of things like pre-op planning and 3D imaging, surgeons are equipped with a more detailed plan.

What does this mean for the patient? It means more precision, less invasive procedures and a reduced chance of error.

Most robotic surgical systems feature a camera and mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached to them. The surgeon is able to control the arms from a console, which gives them a high-definition, magnified, 3D view of the process as it unfolds. This enhances flexibility and precision when compared to more traditional techniques.

Here are some of the tools we use to enhance patient care at Essentia.

Da Vinci Xi Surgical System

Built on 20 years of experience, the Xi is da Vinci’s fourthgeneration machine. Equipped with four movable arms, it operates as an extension of a surgeon’s eyes and hands, allowing unobstructed access to the patient. Using a laser system, the robot is able to configure itself precisely, ensuring optimal surgery positions based on patients’ needs. The surgeon then operates the machine with fine-tuned mechanics through an overhead console that allows for up-close access to every step of the procedure.

Zimmer Biomet’s new ROSA (robotic surgical assistant) Knee System

This procedure is similar to traditional total knee replacement, but with a robotic assistant. The ROSA Knee System uses data collected before and during surgery to inform the surgeon(s) about details related to the patient’s unique anatomy that may affect the implant fit. By using real-time data, the surgeon can plan for and carry out a customized surgery.

Prior to the surgery, patients will have a series of X-rays, which are used to create a 3D model of their knee. During the surgery, the system uses a camera and trackers to provide the surgeon with data about the patient’s knee. All this information about the patient’s anatomy, combined with the surgeon’s expertise, helps them know how to precisely position the implant.

Auris Health’s Monarch™ Platform

This is an innovative technology for the diagnosis of lung cancer. It enables earlier diagnosis and facilitates the biopsy of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung. The technology integrates the latest advancements in robotics, software, data science and endoscopy — or the use of small cameras and tools to enter the body through its natural openings. There are a variety of diagnostic options currently available for lung cancer, but all have limitations in accuracy, safety or invasiveness.

The Monarch Platform features a controller-like interface that physicians use to navigate the flexible robotic endoscope to the periphery of the lung with improved reach, vision and control. Combining traditional endoscopic views into the lung with computer-assisted navigation based on 3D models of the patient’s own lung anatomy, the Monarch Platform provides physicians with continuous vision of the airways throughout the entire procedure.

GI Genius

This new technology greatly enhances the ability to detect potentially cancerous colorectal polyps, or adenomas, through enhanced visualization during a colonoscopy.

The GI Genius uses AI to help detect precancerous lesions in real-time. It incorporates advanced algorithms that can identify and mark abnormalities consistent with polyps, including flat ones, that might otherwise go undetected by the human eye. Studies have shown every 1% increase in adenoma-detection rate reduces the risk of interval colorectal cancer by 3%. The GI Genius has been shown to increase adenoma-detection rate by over 14% compared to colonoscopy alone.

These are just a few state-of-the-art pieces of technology Essentia implements at a variety of our locations. D

Anthony Matt is the media relations specialist at Essentia Health.

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By Amy Carlson