Defining Medicine Article – Q4 2023
In the realm of robot-assisted surgery, Tampa General Hospital has long been leading the way with the cutting-edge technique that offers enhanced visualization for surgeons, reduced pain and shorter hospital stays for patients, and a record of demonstrated success in an array of specialties.
This is certainly the case with Dr. Mark Baker, a veteran urologist with Florida Urology Partners, which works in collaboration with Tampa General in providing world-class care. Baker has not only performed nearly 1,000 robot-assisted surgeries, but has also completed numerous transvesical radical prostatectomies on prostate cancer patients at TGH, using the da Vinci Surgical System by Intuitive.
In doing so, he has become the first surgeon in Florida to perform this operation with the da Vinci single-port system. Dr. Baker successfully employed the technique twice on June 6, and he reports that both patients were discharged the same day with complete negative margins and feeling great. “It’s going to revolutionize how we treat patients with low to moderate prostate cancer,” he says.
Baker adds, “This approach has demonstrated much less pain and the ability for discharge the day of surgery. Since we are able to spare many vital structures around the bladder, this approach has demonstrated much more timely return of urinary control. Roughly 50% of patients are immediately continent. Also, this approach has maintained excellent oncologic results.”
The benefit of the single-port system is that it allows surgeons to perform highly complex procedures in a minimally invasive way. The single-port robotics approach requires a lone incision as opposed to several with the multi-port robot. The system also makes possible greater natural range of motion than the human hand and is even designed with “an elbow and wrist.” Furthermore, it allows for 3D visualization that lets surgeons look into areas not easily seen in an “open” – or non-robotic – surgery.
The specific, less-invasive approach utilized by Dr. Baker involves entering through the bladder to access the prostate – rather than working in front of or behind the bladder to reach the prostate. Through a small incision in the bladder, he was able to remove the prostate with no issues. Having achieved such encouraging results, Dr. Baker has more such surgeries scheduled and is excited about the possibilities of helping a wider population of patients in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.
“This isn’t offered anywhere else locally,” he says. “If I were a patient and knew about this, I would search it out.”
Baker’s leading-edge work is part of the game-changing robotics surgery program offered at Tampa General, which in 2022 performed its 10,000th robot-assisted surgery, receiving accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Robot-Assisted Surgery from the Surgical Review Corporation, an internationally recognized patient safety organization.
“Our ability to lead in this space through collaboration and innovation, along with the recognition as a Center of Excellence, speaks to the quality and breadth of care we provide to our community,” says Tampa General President and CEO John Couris.
TGH acquired the single-port system in 2019, and Dr. Baker has been revolutionizing how this technology is being utilized around the country.
