When his bladder cancer returned in 2019, Gavin McHugh knew he was in for a more complex surgery than the one he had in 2018 to remove a tumor from his bladder wall.

His doctor would have to not only remove his bladder but build a new one out of a section of his colon. The cancer was aggressive and removal was necessary.

His physician, Ranko Miocinovic, M.D., opted to use one of Edward Hospital’s da Vinci robots to perform the surgery. McHugh was Edward’s 5,000th patient to undergo robotic-assisted surgery with the help of one of the hospital’s four da Vinci surgical systems.

The da Vinci^® Surgical System — one of the most advanced surgical technologies available — offers a minimally invasive alternative for many complex surgical procedures.

Surgeons work at a control panel near the operating table and use hand controls to guide robotic arms holding laparoscopic surgical instruments. The system’s technology converts the surgeon’s hand movements into delicate and precise movement of the instruments. The robotic “wrists” rotate 540 degrees, providing access to hard-to-reach areas of the body and unprecedented accuracy, flexibility and range of motion.

Patients who undergo surgery using robotic-assisted systems often have shorter recovery times, smaller incisions, less blood loss, a quicker return to normal activities, less pain and less scaring.

“One of the greatest benefits is that we’re able to send some of our patients home sooner,” says Dr. Miocinovic, who performs virtually all his surgeries using da Vinci.

In McHugh’s case, Edward was one of the few hospitals in the state to offer the procedure using the da Vinci system. McHugh was home less than two weeks after his surgery and back to work shortly after.

“I was along for the ride,” McHugh says of his surgery. “Everybody did what they needed to do and the way they needed to do it.

“Everything was an absolute breeze,” he adds. “There were no complications whatsoever.”

As a precaution, McHugh underwent chemotherapy after surgery. He is happy to report a recent CT scan showed “everything was clear.”

“Everyone went out of their way to make me feel comfortable,” he says. “They really cared about the outcome.”

Edward Hospital began using the da Vinci system in 2010 and through the years has expanded the program. Edward performed about 1,200 robotic-assisted procedures for 2019.

Find a surgeon that is credentialed for the da Vinci surgical system at Edward-Elmhurst Health.

Learn more about comprehensive cancer care at Edward-Elmhurst Health.