Conyers, Ga. (November 25, 2024) – Piedmont Rockdale Hospital recently hosted its first robotics showcase to raise awareness of the importance of annual screenings and to showcase the robots utilized in various surgical procedures at the hospital. There were also no-cost lung nodule screenings, an educational clinic held for the aging community, and hernia screenings. More than 300 people attended from students across Rockdale County Public Schools, first responders, hospital staff and community members, city and county leaders, among others.
Those in attendance got to speak with some of the providers who use robotic-assisted technology day-to-day and even got a chance to get their hands on the robot to do demos. Robotic-assisted surgery allows for surgeons to use specialized robotic surgical tools to operate more quickly, efficiently and with greater precision than ever before. Instead of working by hand, which typically requires larger incisions, surgeons can manipulate ultra-precise robotic arms to enter the body through small, dime-sized incisions.
The robots on display were the ION robot and the DaVinci robot. The ION robot uses a small catheter to allow the team to reach small lesions in all 18 segments of the lung with more reach, precision, and stability. The DaVinci robot surgeries are done through very small incisions, which means patients heal quicker and experience less scarring. In addition to instruments that offer a greater range of motion, the surgeon uses a high-definition, magnifying 3D camera which gives the doctor excellent views of any areas of concern.
The newest acquired robot, the ION robot, helps pulmonologists like Hadi Hatoum, M.D., detect early lung cancer diagnosis. “It allows us to give a curative chance for patients,” he said. “If you find cancer sooner, you have a higher chance to cure patients. This technology allows us to target smaller lesions that are hard to reach, accurately and the sooner we detect and treat the cancer, the better the outcome.”
Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer, and statistically the most fatal.
Who gets screened, and when?
• Men and women
• Have a 20 pack-year* history of smoking
• 50 to 80 years old
• Currently smoke or have quit in the past 15 years
*This is the number of packs of cigarettes per day multiplied by the number of years smoked. For example, someone who smoked two packs a day for 10 years [2 x 10 = 20] has 20 pack-years of smoking, as does a person who smoked one pack a day for 20 years [1 x 20 = 20].
Robotic surgery is another way Piedmont physicians are embracing leading-edge technologies to provide you with exceptional, hassle-free care.