GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – ECU Health says they’ve made a huge leap forward in surgery for children through the use of robots.
The concept of utilizing robotics to assist with medical procedures is nothing new when it comes to adults.
Dr. Courtney Harris, a pediatric surgeon at ECU Health, recently performed the health system’s first pediatric robotic-assisted cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal).
Dr. Harris says the robot isn’t doing the work for her, but the robotic arms are following her instructions.
“Well, the robot has the arms that are actually inside the patient that are moving, but I am controlling the arms. So, I’m sitting at a console and I am controlling every move that the robot makes,” said Dr. Harris.
Division chief of pediatric surgery, Dr. Shannon Longshore, says this is the future of medicine.
“It helps advance the care. This is where medicine is headed. It really offers advantages for certain procedures and certain patients,” said Dr. Longshore.
Dr. Harris says there is special training involved in using this technology. She says she knew how to use it before she started working at the children’s hospital and helped introduce the practice of using it for young patients there.
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