CityView Magazine

health Dr. Roboto D r. Christian deBeck, a urologist at Cape Fear Valley Health Sys- tems, is currently the man be- hind the machine, the hospital's state-of-the-art da Vinci machine, that is. The da Vinci Surgical System is a four- armed robot that surgeons in the hospital began using in May. Using the da Vinci, Dr. deBeck and others are able to perform surgery on their patients in a minimally invasive way that lessens discomfort and speeds recovery. The robot has a console where the surgeon sits to operate with joysticks and it is designed to provide sur- geons enhanced capabilities, giving them a high definition 3-D view and overall better treatment option for patients. Less pain, less blood loss where patients typically do not need to be transfused with blood, and overall faster recovery times weigh heavily on a patient's decision to opt for a da Vinci surgery, deBeck said. "I don't try to sell patients on the ro- botic surgery, rather I discuss the risks, benefits and alternatives while educating patients," he said. "There are some pa- tients who might not be a candidate for robotic surgery, but it's often times chosen because of the less invasiveness of the pro- cedure with less bleeding." Fayetteville doctors are using robotics to treat patients | BY KELLY TWEDELL Dr. deBeck has been doing robotic surgery since 2006, his last year of residency, when he became sold on the technology because it gives the surgeon a distinct advantage. Right now Dr. deBeck is using the da Vinci to help patients suffering from pros- tate, kidney and adrenal problems and he said the machine has stayed busy as many patients had delayed receiving care because they didn't want to travel for procedures. For prostate cancer patients, studies have shown improvements in these three areas by certain surgeons: cancer control, continence and potency. Dr. deBeck is satisfied with the patient results he has seen with the three vari- ables and has performed over 100 surger- ies since being trained surgeries with the robot since 2006. "I'm in the outcomes business, and this is the tool that gets me to the outcome I want for my patients. That's what keeps me going," deBeck said. "Robotics is the type of research being done by the military, and space technol- ogy and the technology keeps increasing to become smaller, better and faster." Urology typically is at the forefront of robotic surgery because of the nature of the smaller pelvic area to work on ex- plained deBeck. Having the technology in this community also means that we can serve our patients better since they don't have to travel to another city and stay over night in a hotel to recover. Now, Fayette- ville-area patients are able to go home to recover and recuperate, where they can be around their family. Dr. Arnold Barefoot, who practices in ob- stetrics and gynecology at Cape Fear Valley, is also using the da Vinci for his patients. He uses the CyberKnife for abdominal hysterectomy surgeries because he said it cuts down on both pain and recovery time for the patients. He added that faster re- turn to function is key for busy patients these days as well as being able to stay lo- cally and recover at home. "It shows an ongoing commitment on the hospital's part to stay technologically advanced and to bring services to this com- munity that are needed," Barefoot said. Barefoot, a longtime Fayetteville resi- dent, began performing laparoscopic hys- terectomies in the early 1990's, so moving into robotic surgery was a natural choice for him. "It's another kind of progression with the tools we are already using," Barefoot said. "We now offer here what's offered elsewhere." CV CityViewNC.com | 29

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