Reno, NV - Regular people got to test out a medical tool that usually only surgeons and medical professionals get to touch.
Folks in Reno came to Renown Regional Medical Center for a luncheon to learn more about the da vinci surgical system - which has been giving doctors more control during complicated surgeries in the operating room.
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"I wondered what the da vinci surgery was all about," says Pete Cladianos, a Reno resident who showed up at Renown for a luncheon on the da vinci system.

So, he dove right in and got his hands on the medical tool.

"It's amazing how you can move it," he says, after playing with the controls on the da vinci system and checking out what it shows on the monitor. "It blows up so you can see the thing real clearly."

The da vinci system is an option for patients undergoing certain surgeries. With it, they can avoid certain open surgeries in favor of a less invasive one.

"For me, it's the difference between doing a major cancer surgery through a large incision and now I can do it through small puncture holes into the abdomen, so it makes it for a quicker recovery," says Angelo Kanellas, MD, a urologist.

For Elizabeth Hutson, MD who is a gynecologist, the da vinci surgical system means more precise handling in complicated operations, like hysterectomies.

"The da vinci allows it to be done through small incisions in a way where you can use wristed instruments. Less blood loss, less trauma to the tissue and patients can get out of the hospital much quicker," she says.

Pete Cladianos says he will tell his friends about what he learned at the luncheon. Knowing that the robotic surgical tool can be used in all sorts of different surgeries makes it an appealing option.

"You don't ever want to have this kind of problem where you want to have this kind of thing happen to you, but if you do, it's quite helpful," he says.

Renown Regional Medical Center has used the da vinci surgical system for about three years now. The hospital has two of them. St. Mary's Hospital also has the da vinci.