UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center in Virginia, US, has added a new robotic-assisted surgical system in a move that expands its surgical services.

Being minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgeries provide several benefits to patients such as smaller scars, less pain during recovery, shorter hospital stays, and reduced risks of infection and blood loss.

As a result of these benefits, the medical centre states that it is propelled to further invest in the advantages and outcomes of robotic-assisted surgery.

Due to the robotic-assisted surgical programme, patients can receive treatments locally, without needing a referral or to travel to another facility.

The centre will leverage this robotic-assisted surgical system to perform various abdominal surgeries, including hiatal hernias, as well as gallbladder, abdominal wall, and inguinal hernias.

In addition, it will leverage the robotic-assisted system for acid reflux surgery, stomach and oesophagus surgery, and bowel surgery, including the colon, small bowel, and rectum.

UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center COO Donna Staton said “Keeping our patients in their community for all of their care is an important part of UVA Health’s strategic goal to provide access to the highest-quality and safest care to our community.”

In July this year, the centre began treating radiology oncology patients using a new linear accelerator.

UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center also switched to a new electronic medical records (EMR) system that integrates the medical records of all UVA Health medical centres, provider offices, and speciality care centres.

The deployment of the EMR system helps in providing coordinated patient care across the UVA Health system.