During an interactive session at Becker's 14th Annual Meeting, Tanuja Damani, MD, chief of surgical services at NYU Langone in New York City, discussed the future of da Vinci surgery and the growth of her organization's da Vinci program.
NYU Langone has 22 da Vinci robotic systems across its campuses, which are used to perform about 4,200 cases a year.
During the session, Dr. Damani emphasized the importance of training pathways for surgeons, regardless of their experience level, to ensure quality and safety. She also highlighted the benefits of modern da Vinci surgery systems, including improved ergonomics, efficiency and other features.
Note: Quotes edited for length and clarity.
3 takeaways + quotes:
1.) Regardless of the experience or tenure of a surgeon, training is essential to ensure a da Vinci surgery program operates efficiently and delivers the best outcomes possible.
"Recently, our entire bariatric division converted to robotics. Our chief of bariatric surgery — she's a world-renowned professor of surgery — but she went through the same training pathway. Why? Because we can't compromise quality and safety. No shortcuts and no exceptions." - Dr. Tanuja Damani
2.) Integration,standardization and data is essential for efficiency and consistency in the operating room.
"Consistency and reproducibility is so important. Variability is the enemy. With our da Vinci systems, we're able to get so much meaningful data. And those surgical case insights can really help the surgeons' proficiency." - Dr. Tanuja Damani
3.) Collaboration and alignment across specialities is essential for program growth and success.
"You need your program champions, your nursing champions, your surgeon champions and executive leads. They all have to come together to be that catalyst for change and shared belief. But you also need someone who can pull all these elements together and speak to the value of robotics across specialties." - Dr. Tanuja Damani