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Genesis shows off its surgery robots in a series of demonstrations

The robots helped a Genesis surgeon operate on a Bettendorf woman with colon cancer.

DAVENPORT, Iowa — A demonstration of Intuitive's ION and da Vinci Xi surgery robots at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport gave spectators a taste of the future of medicine.

Robot-assisted surgeries are minimally invasive, resulting in smaller incisions, less pain and faster recovery times, according to Genesis surgeon Robert Harson.

"We're able to use other adjunctive measures to make sure they have very minimal post-operative pain and have a very early return to their normal activities," Harson said.

In the demonstration, Harson manipulated a pair of claws with the da Vinci Xi system to move sets of rubber rings around through two openings in a practice apparatus. A representative from Intuitive showed how surgeons could use the ION robot to navigate through a model of a pair of lungs.

Harson said Genesis' robotic surgery program is the largest in Iowa with four machines and more than 20 different procedures in urology, general surgery, gynecology and lung biopsy. Genesis surgeons have performed at least 6,700 of these procedures with the help of surgery robots, according to a press release.

Lois Nichols, a 91-year-old Bettendorf resident, is a retired music teacher and Figge Art Museum docent. She experienced the benefits of one of Genesis' surgery robots first-hand in early October.

It took six years for doctors to find the correct diagnosis before she came to Genesis. In that time, she lost nearly 25 pounds and suffered from pain and discomfort. After a colonoscopy at Genesis found colon cancer, Nichols was sent to Harson to discuss her treatment options. She said the Genesis doctors who worked with her were attentive and caring throughout the process.

"Dr. Harson was wonderful about explaining," Nichols said. "He would explain something before I had to ask a question. By the time he got done talking about something, I felt very pleased that he was in charge."

Nichols has made a full recovery and is now cancer-free. She said she's been on her feet quite a bit since her surgery. As she works on regaining weight, she said she's been a frequent customer of Whitey's Ice Cream to help her put back on the pounds.

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