Val Verde Regional Medical Center held a celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 28, to mark 100 procedures performed with its da Vinci 5 robotic-assisted surgical system. Board members, physicians and hospital staff attended, according to the story.
The hospital announced the arrival of the system on May 26. Dr. Ashley Lopez, an obstetrician-gynecologist, performed the hospital's first robotic-assisted surgery on June 2. The hospital reached 100 procedures in less than five months.
VVRMC CEO Jorge Jurado said the milestone matters for residents of Val Verde County. "Our patients can access advanced robotic surgery right here at home without having to travel outside the area for services," Jurado said. Dr. Wyn Nguyen, a general surgeon who is also board-certified in colorectal surgery, was credited with performing the 100th surgery. Nguyen said the technology has allowed him to complete procedures that would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, with conventional methods.