Medical center announces expansion of robotic surgery program | Health

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - The Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center has announced the expansion of their robotic surgery program using the daVinci Robotic Surgery System to perform Transoral Robotic Surgery.

According to the hospital, this expansion provides an alternative to invasive open surgery and full-dose chemoradiation therapy for diseases of the head and neck. They say they are the only hospital in the region offering the TORS program.

PBRMC says TORS is available for some conditions of the head and neck, including select early-stage cancers. During transoral procedures, the surgeon operates through the patient’s mouth to remove a primary throat tumor instead of using an open technique that would require major additional reconstructive surgery. TORS allows maximal preservation of function, including quality of swallowing, voice, and breathing.

“I’m excited to be able to bring this advanced technology using the daVinci Surgical System to the Poplar Bluff area," said Dr. Charles Potter, ENT. "This will offer a great benefit to patients who previously had only the choice of an invasive procedure when it came to surgery for these types of head and neck diseases. My patients who have already undergone this surgery have been thrilled with the outcomes."

Potter launched the Transoral Robotic Surgery program at PBRMC on July 17. Before the launch, he attended case observations at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, then completed his DaVinci system training and porcine lab/simulations in Sunnyvale, CA. Dr. Potter also utilized the daVinci Simulator at PBRMC for additional training.

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