State-of-the-Art Robotic Surgery

At ECMC, we are continually acquiring state-of-the-art technology to ensure our clinicians have access to the most advanced technology available to provide our patients the highest quality healthcare services. With six surgical robots now in place, ECMC surgeons and staff are strengthening their ability to provide patients with high precision robots that provide even better outcomes and quicker recoveries.

Symani® Surgical System

Erie County Medical Center is the first hospital in Western New York to install MMI’s (Medical Microinstruments, Inc.) Symani® Surgical System a first-of-its-kind robotic technology that uniquely addresses the scale and complexities of microsurgery. Surgeons at ECMC are able to use microsurgical techniques with robotic precision to perform reconstruction of small blood and lymphatic vessels to help restore quality of life for more patients.  The Symani® Surgical System is the sixth robotic surgical system now available at ECMC.

Microsurgery is a highly specialized technique that involves reconnecting tiny vessels to restore blood flow or redirect fluid during procedures such as cancer or trauma reconstruction and lymphedema surgery. The limitations of the human hand, inadequate instrument capabilities, and a shortage of highly skilled specialists have all contributed to patients lacking access to microsurgical treatment for complex conditions. However, by combining motion-scaling and tremor filtering technology with the world’s smallest wristed instruments, Symani augments physician capability at the micro-level by adding precision and control for extremely delicate procedures where surgical options may otherwise be limited.

Five ECMC surgeons – Thom R. Loree, MD, Mark Falco, MD, Michael Y. Nagai, DDS MD, Jordan D. Frey, MD, and  Mark S. Burke, MD – have all trained on Symani and they are all now utilizing the surgical system to help their patients. It is expected that additional ECMC surgeons will also receive training on Symani in the near future.

Procedures our surgeons are performing with Symani

• Lymphedema surgery
• Breast reconstruction
• Trauma reconstruction

The Symani Surgical System is the only commercially available robotic platform uniquely designed for extremely small and delicate microsurgical procedures and used in thousands of surgeries worldwide. It is designed to help restore quality of life for more patients, accelerate the number of surgeons able to push the boundaries of complex procedures for delicate anatomy, and enable hospitals like ECMC to expand their open surgical programs.

Benefits of Symani for patients: Improves outcomes and enhances quality of life

• Minimizes vessel trauma during complex microsurgery
• Lowers the likelihood of adverse events
• Reduces lymphedema symptoms following lymphatic surgery

Helpful Resources

Robotic-assisted Lymphovenous Bypass for Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema│ A Symani® Patient Story

Video: Overview of the Symani Surgical System

MMI Website: About Symani

ECMC Becomes One of the First Hospitals in the U.S. to Receive New Microsurgery Robot

Additional Surgical Robotic Systems at ECMC

DaVinci Xi (1) Used for General Surgery, Bariatric Surgery, GYN Surgery, Colorectal Surgery, Urological Surgery and Thoracic Surgery. We utilize it most for Bariatric/Urological/Thoracic. Is intended to allow for 3D minimally invasive surgery. The da Vinci Xi is Intuitive Surgical’s advanced robotic system for minimally invasive surgery, featuring an overhead arm design for better access, HD 3D vision, and precise, wrist-like instrument control for complex procedures in multiple specialties like urology, gynecology, and general surgery, enabling smaller incisions, less pain, and faster recovery for patients while the surgeon remains in control from a console.

Mako (2) Mako robotic surgery uses a robotic arm, guided by a surgeon, to perform personalized partial/total knee and total hip replacements, utilizing pre-operative CT scans to create a 3D model for precise implant placement, potentially leading to less bone removal, faster recovery, and better functional outcomes by staying within planned boundaries and preserving surrounding tissues.

ROSA (1) Used for total shoulder replacement at ECMC; Dr. Thomas R. Duquin is the only provider in the area providing this option. The ROSA (Robotic Surgical Assistant) is a surgeon-controlled robotic system by Zimmer Biomet, used in orthopedic surgeries like total shoulder, knee and hip replacements, and neurosurgery, acting as a precise “GPS” or guide for planning and executing personalized procedures. It provides real-time data, maps anatomy, and guides instruments for precise bone cuts and implant placement, enhancing accuracy, personalizing treatment, and potentially improving patient recovery, though the surgeon remains in full control, making all decisions.

Ion Endoluminal System (1) Identifies lung nodules that are smaller in size and at earlier stages of cancer. The Ion Endoluminal System is a robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform by Intuitive, designed for minimally invasive lung biopsies, using an ultra-thin, shape-sensing catheter guided by pre-planned CT scans to reach and sample small, peripheral lung nodules for early lung cancer diagnosis, offering greater precision and stability than traditional methods. It functions like a GPS for the airways, navigating complex paths to allow doctors to biopsy hard-to-reach lesions, improving diagnostic confidence and potentially accelerating treatment.