Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) closed out 2019 by marking off a major milestone: more than 10,000 NGMC patients have now benefitted from robotic surgery, thanks to specially trained surgeons and state-of-the-art technology known as the da Vinci Surgical System.

NGMC offers patients a robust robotic surgical program that includes more than 30 surgeons representing a multitude of specialties: bariatric, colorectal, gynecology, gynecologic oncology, thoracic, urology and general surgery, including hernia repair.

“Patients typically benefit tremendously from robotic surgery when compared to traditional procedures which often require larger, open incisions,” says Andrew Green, MD, a gynecologic oncologist with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group and medical director of the Robotic Surgical Program at NGMC. “Common advantages include smaller incisions and less blood loss, which can also decrease the need for narcotic pain medicine. These benefits often translate to a shorter hospital stay and, in general, a quicker return to normal activities for our patients.” 

Together, NGMC’s Gainesville and Braselton hospital campuses house four da Vinci Surgical Systems – with a fifth robot on the way. The robots allow surgeons to perform delicate and complex operations through tiny incisions with breakthrough vision, precision, dexterity and control. In some cases, surgeons can even use the robot to perform procedures through the patient’s navel, resulting in virtually no scarring.

In addition to providing robotic surgical services for its patients, NGMC also serves as one of the leading teaching facilities for other surgeons and staff from across the U.S. who want to learn and fine-tune these techniques.