November 26, 2012

Following months of pain and discomfort caused by a non-functioning gallbladder, Oakdale resident Susan Apicella became one of the first patients to have da Vinci® Single-Site™ Cholecystectomy, robotic-assisted gallbladder surgery, at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center. The da Vinci® is a robotic-assisted surgical system widely used in complex minimally invasive surgery. Using this advanced technology, Chief of Bariatric Surgery/General Surgeon Edward Cussatti, MD, removed the gallbladder through the patient’s belly button with an incision of approximately one inch.

“Dr. Cussatti recently performed emergency laparoscopic gall bladder surgery on my daughter-in-law who did very well,” said Mrs. Apicella. “This was my first surgery as an adult and the nurses could not have been better at alleviating my fears. I have had very little pain and I was back home within hours of my surgery.”
 
Potential benefits of single-site gallbladder surgery include virtually scarless results, minimal pain, low blood loss, fast recovery, a short hospital stay and high patient satisfaction. The surgery can be performed in about one hour with a typical hospital stay of less than 24 hours. Unlike traditional robotic surgeries requiring three to five small incisions, this new technology allows for a single incision in the belly button to remove the diseased gallbladder. Most people who require gallbladder removal are candidates for the robotic-assisted single-incision surgery.

"To be one of the first hospitals to offer this technically advanced surgery demonstrates Good Samaritan’s leadership in providing patients with the most up-to-date minimally invasive surgical options," said Dr. Cussatti.

In addition to gallbladder removal, the daVinci® surgical robot is used for gynecological, bariatric and other general surgery.  Good Samaritan’s Department of Surgery is staffed by more than 100 surgical specialists in 12 separate specialty divisions.  The hospital is the second largest tertiary care facility in Suffolk County, delivering a combination of superior surgical outcomes with the benefit of comprehensive medical resources supporting each procedure.

To learn more about Good Samaritan’s da Vinci® robotic surgery and other minimally invasive services, visit www.good-samaritan-hospital.org or call (631) 376-4444.

Pictured (L-R): Patient Susan Apicella and surgeon Edward Cussatti, MD.

###

Colleen Valdini

Manager, Public and External Affairs

Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center

(631) 376-4483