I’d like to welcome the newest member of our surgical team at Petrie: our new Da Vinci robot, “BIRT,” which stands for Beth Israel Robotic Technology.
We have a history of leading the way in robotic technology. In 2000, Hani Shennib, MD performed the first robotic/ closed coronary bypass in New York and in 2011, Caner Dinlenc, MD and Joseph Wagner, MD used the Da Vinci Surgical System to perform the first robotic prostatectomy.
This new Da Vinci robot will replace the one we’ve had for 8 years. Using a robot for surgery allows for minimally-invasive techniques that help the patient heal faster and with less pain medicine. This new robot offers even more precision than before and 3D high-definition screening. We will use it for colorectal, bariatric, general, urology, thyroid and other kinds of surgeries.
Michael Palese, MD, and chair of Professor and Chairman of the Sol & Margaret Berger Department of Urology at Mount Sinai Beth Israel shared his excitement about the robot:
“This robotic platform enhances our ability to perform variable and complex cases. It also opens the door to creating a true multi-disciplinary minimally-invasive robotics center for all specialties. Most importantly, it allows Mount Sinai Beth Israel & Downtown to offer world class robotic surgery to our community and patients.”
We celebrated the robot this week with a naming contest and a meet-and-greet where employees got to try their hand at manipulating the robot. Thank you for the quirky and creative name submissions. We had 200 ideas submitted and “BIRT” came out on top!