(Mission Times Courier, San Diego, CA) -  The road to recovery just got shorter for many urology, gynecology and cardiac patients at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. The da Vinci® S HD™ Robotic Surgical System is now available at the East County hospital to perform many minimally invasive procedures for patients. The $1.7 million robotic surgery system is one the most advanced of its kind in San Diego.

Robotic surgery is a type of laparoscopic surgery that uses slender telescope-like instruments placed through small incisions in the patient’s abdomen, eliminating the need to make large incisions that take longer to heal. The surgeon operates while seated at a console viewing a three-dimensional, high-definition image of the surgical site. The surgeon grasps controls that seamlessly translate hand, wrist and finger movements into precise, real-time movements of the surgical instruments inside the patient.

Besides smaller incisions, the benefits of robotic surgery include a shorter hospital stay, less pain, lower risk of infection, less scarring and a quicker recovery.