Minimally Invasive, Maximally Beneficial

Second surgical robot expands Salem Hospital's one-of-a-kind robotic surgery program.

Since Salem Hospital acquired its first robotic surgical system in 2018, the hospital's clinicians have transformed the surgical expertise available on the North Shore, so much so that demand for the minimally invasive surgeries offered in this one-of-a-kind regional program far outpaced capacity. Now, thanks to the generosity of Salem Hospital's supporters, the hospital has obtained a second robotic surgical system and is delivering a host of benefits to even more surgical patients.

"Robotics makes a minimally invasive approach possible for a larger scope of surgeries," says Sheaumei Tsai, MD, a urologist and medical director of robotic surgery at Salem Hospital. "Traditional surgery typically involves larger incisions, more post-operative pain and longer hospital stays. With robotic surgery, we have an alternative that significantly lessens all of these impacts."

What sets robotic surgery apart from traditional surgery, or even laparoscopic surgery, is that the wristed instrument on the robot provides the surgeon with greater flexibility and range of movement in the surgical field. For challenging operations, where a patient may have scar tissue or inflammation because of previous surgeries or infections, a laparoscopic procedure may be too limited to achieve the desired outcome and could result in a switch to traditional surgery. With the surgical robot, Salem Hospital's surgeons can fully accomplish challenging surgeries without having to resort to a more invasive option.

Patients took notice of this innovative approach and opted for more than 450 procedures at Salem Hospital last year. That demand stretched the system to its limits, however, and the hospital began planning for a second robotic system. The second robot opens up availability to deliver optimal, minimally invasive care without delay or disruption.

"We are the first to have this new robotic technology in the Mass General Brigham system and one of the first in New England," says Marc S. Rubin, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery at Salem Hospital. "Our goal is to provide the same outstanding care that is delivered at our two Boston academic medical centers, but closer to home. Embracing new innovations and advanced techniques is certainly a big part of that. Having Mass General Brigham surgeons in every subspecialty operating at Salem and staffing our clinics is another key to meeting this high standard."

For a patient like Roslyn Grosser, the availability of the surgical robot makes a difference. The 85-year-old Danvers resident had a kidney removed in March 2024 and was stunned at the speed of her recovery, which took about six weeks.

"I never even felt like I had an operation," Roslyn says. "I was expecting the worst because of my age. I had prepared for my daughter to stay with me for a week, thinking that I was going to need the help. That wasn't the case. I felt great.

"If I had my choice, I'd take robotic surgery any day," she continues. "It was like it never happened."

Dr. Tsai has been working in robotic surgery since her residency in 2006 and completed a robotics-specific fellowship in 2013. From her perspective, the new robotic surgery platform offers a major benefit to surgeons too: ergonomic optimization. In the current platform, surgeons can move the head piece to reduce neck strain, rest their arms on pads while operating and make other lumbar adjustments. The platform also has haptic feedback, where surgeons can feel tension in their hands as if they were actually holding instruments inside the surgical field.

"If the idea is to tackle more complex cases, we have to prepare for those cases to run longer because of what we're trying to do," she says. "The new robot is ergonomically more responsive with more adjustable features that preserve a surgeon's ability to operate longer in a given day and over the course of a career."

Salem Hospital's commitment to this type of innovation also helps it attract the next generation of skilled surgeons. Nearly all trainees coming out of residency are familiar with robotic platforms, Dr. Tsai says, so having two sophisticated robotic systems at the hospital keeps it on pace with surgical advances. The new platform also leverages artificial intelligence to track a surgeon's movements and recommend drills for further practice.

"The robotic technology also provides important feedback and practice exercises that enable surgeons to continue improving their skills. There are a lot of bells and whistles, but they can be appropriately applied to make someone a better surgeon."

To learn more about robotic surgery at Salem Hospital, click here.

We sincerely thank all the supporters of our surgical robotics program, with special appreciation to our lead donors including:
Pamela Buch and David Ives
Karen and Mike Davenport and the Davenport Fund
Pingree Family and the Weld Foundation
The Read Trust

If you would like to learn more about Salem Hospital's ongoing philanthropic campaign to support robotic surgery, please contact SHGiving@mgb.org.