Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1446582
BY ELESA SWIRGSDIN A S ROBOTIC SURGERY E VOLVES, HESHAM AT WA, MD, FACS, FA SMBS, AND LONG ISL AND L APAROSCOPIC DOCTORS OFFER PATIENTS AN E XPANDED ARR AY OF MINIMALLY INVA SIVE SURGICAL TECHNIQUES THAT YIELD SHORTER RECOVERY TIMES, FE WER COMPLICATIONS AND REDUCED POST-PROCEDUR AL PAIN. Hesham Atwa, MD, FACS, FASMBS, is at the forefront of minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery. As the Founder a nd Clinica l Director of Long Isla nd Lapa roscopic Doctors, as well as the Director and Chief of Surgery and Director of Robotic Surgery at St. Charles Hospital and Chief of General Surgery at Mather Hospital Northwell Health, Dr. Atwa has experienced firsthand how robotics are changing the face of surgery — for patients and physicians alike. "Results of robotic-assisted surgery a re sig nif ica nt when compa red with results of open or laparoscopic surgery," Dr. Atwa says. "There is a lower rate of complications and a lower death rate. For physicians, this is the next stage of the evolution of surgery." Dr. Atwa now has access to five da Vinci System robots, which he uses for colon resections, hernia repairs, foregut surgery, biliary surgery and bariatric surgery. Over the past two years, he has performed more than 850 robotic-assisted surgeries with superior patient outcomes. ADVANTAGES AND ADVANCES The field of robotics advances rapidly. Dr. Atwa's dedication to mastering those advances means his patients now have options that were unavailable a few years ago. Many surgeries are becoming less complicated, allowing patients to resume their lives faster, with lower chances of returning to the hospital. 0 6❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R F E A T U R E Hesham Atwa, MD, FACS, FASMBS, Founder and Clinical Director of Long Island Laparoscopic Doctors, prepares the da Vinci robot before a case. Its 3D, high-definition, laser-precise dexterity enables faster and more efficient surgeries. Dr. Atwa demonstrates how he controls the robot's arms and wrists. "Our doctors can perform complicated procedures without fatigue, whereas before we'd have to stand for long periods of time," he says. Hesham Atwa, MD, FACS, FASMBS: Continual Advances in Robotic Surgery Yield Improved Patient Outcomes at Long Island Laparoscopic Doctors