The da Vinci S Surgical System is an addition to Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci product line. da Vinci is a state-of-the-art robotic-system designed to expand the surgeon's capabilities, providing patients with a minimally invasive option for many complex procedures for the very first time.

The da Vinci System allows surgeons to perform complex procedures including prostate, heart and gynecological surgery -- using dime-sized incisions. For most patients, this minimally invasive approach results in significantly less pain, less blood loss, shorter recovery periods and a quicker return to normal daily activities.

The da Vinci S is Evanston Northwestern Healthcare's first da Vinci Surgical System as well as the first da Vinci S model in clinical service in Illinois. At Evanston Hospital, prostate cancer patients will be among the first to undergo da Vinci Surgery with William K. Johnston III, MD, Director of Laparoscopy and Minimally Invasive Urology and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Johnston was formally trained in laparoscopic and robotic surgery at the University of Michigan.

"While patients will experience shorter hospital stays with less post operative pain and they typically can return to their daily routine in one week rather than six, I am equally excited about the opportunity to improve surgical outcomes with improved vision and dexterity afforded by the robotic arms and fiber optic 3-D imaging in our new S-version of the da Vinci," said Dr. Johnston.

By enhancing surgical capabilities, da Vinci Surgery is helping to improve clinical outcomes and redefine standards of care. Along with offering the many potential benefits of minimally invasive sur
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Contact: Amy Ferguson
AFerguson@enh.org
847-570-3146
Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
22-Mar-2006