- GW Gastrointestinal Cancer Program
- National Leader in Colon and Rectal Surgery
The GW Cancer Center houses the Robotic Colorectal Program has earned the distinction of being named a Colorectal Epicenter. Surgeons from throughout the nation will visit the GW Cancer Center and learn from Vincent Obias, MD, Director of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery. The GW Hospital was the first in the region to use the da Vinci system for robotic colon and rectal surgery.
Cancer Types
Program Information
Colorectal Surgery Using the da Vinci® Robot
The use of robotic surgery has a long history at GW Hospital. It was the first in DC to have the da Vinci robot and to use it for prostate cancer surgery. In 2009, GW Hospital became the first in the region to use the da Vinci system for robotic colon and rectal surgery.
During a robotic colectomy, surgeons remove cancerous portions of the colon and rectum, as well as benign tumors and polyps. A robot-assisted approach provides surgeons with the tools to more easily connect the two ends of the colon after the cancer has been removed. The procedure can be completed with a few tiny incisions, rather than the one long incision used in traditional open colon surgery.
Robotic surgery allows surgeons to perform complex rectal cancer surgery, which had been extremely challenging, in a minimally invasive manner. The robot provides improved visualization of the surgical site through 3D magnification, enhanced dexterity for manipulation and dissection of tissue, and greater precision.
