Million $ donation to fund robotic surgery system at NGMC

GAINESVILLE - Woody Stewart, chairman of The Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees, announces an anonymous gift of $1 million to purchase a da Vinci Surgical System for Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC).

The da Vinci Surgical System will provide innovative robotic surgery options for cardiac patients at NGMC, along with many other applications, including urology, gynecology and more.

"The donors were impressed by the impact of the gift by Ronnie Green to establish the Heart Center and wanted to further expand the availability of sophisticated, cutting-edge equipment at NGMC," says Stewart. "The donors wished to build upon the foundation created by Ronnie's legacy of caring for his friends, neighbors and community."

Given as part of The Medical Center Foundation's Healthy Journey II Campaign, this anonymous gift complements the legacy that began with a $4 million gift from the estate of Ronnie Green, a beloved Gainesville resident who humbly devoted himself to the local community. Ronnie died suddenly of a heart attack in March 2001 at the age of 55, and the signature gift given from his estate and his parents helped establish The Ronnie Green Heart Center at NGMC.

"Thanks to the anonymous donors' gift of $1 million to fund the da Vinci Surgical System, NGMC will soon bring this state-of-the-art equipment to our community," says Stewart. "This donation is yet another example of how contributions to The Medical Center Foundation make services and advanced technology possible that would not otherwise be funded. I truly believe that philanthropy makes the difference between a good hospital and a great hospital."

Much like Ronnie's dedicated service to the customers he served in his family's business, Green's Grocery, the da Vinci Surgical System will make a difference in the lives of many people throughout northeast Georgia.

"Donor support speaks volumes to the generous community in which we live. The da Vinci system allows surgeons the opportunity to offer patients the finest surgical techniques available," says Dan Winston, MD, medical director of the Ronnie Green Heart Center and cardiac surgeon with Peachtree Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeons. "da Vinci is yet another treatment option where patients no longer have to travel outside of northeast Georgia to receive care. It is the kind of investment that will ensure the continuation of top quality care at the Ronnie Green Heart Center and NGMC."

"What is particularly exciting is that the gift from this donor will not only allow for more advanced treatment options for cardiac surgeries, but it also has tremendous benefits for urology and gynecologic surgeries as well," says Andrew Green, MD, a gynecologic oncologist with Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology. "Because the da Vinci has wrist action capabilities, we are able to get around corners and in tight spaces. This allows for a more aggressive cancer surgery in a minimally invasive manner with outcomes equivalent to open procedures."

Robotics is a method of performing surgery using keyholes as ports for instruments that allow access to the heart, lungs and abdomen, while at the same time fine tuning the technical skills of the surgeon. This surgery is three dimensional, mimicking the hand's movements, compared to the two dimensions of laparoscopic surgery, where movements work as a mirror image. This provides an added element of dexterity for the surgeon.

"Our community is fortunate to be getting the da Vinci system," says David S. Woo, MD, a urologist with Gainesville Urology. "It is ideally suited for most prostatectomy cases because of the camera placement deep within the body and the dexterity it provides the surgeon, allowing for a very good cancer excision procedure with quick recovery times."

The use of the da Vinci Surgical System for a patient's procedure can mean a shorter length of stay for the patient and a quicker return to normal activities. Like all new technology, robotic surgery is not appropriate for all patients.

The da Vinci Surgical System will be available at NGMC when the North Patient Tower is completed, which is set for 2009.