Baton Rouge General First in the Country to Use Robotic Video Platform
BATON ROUGE, La. – Baton Rouge General’s Advanced Robotics Institute is the first in the country to install and use Intuitive HUB, a digital platform that helps care teams collaborate over video in real-time for consultation and case observations, and allows physicians to share content with colleagues to improve patient outcomes and for training purposes.
“As the first hospital to bring in this new digital tool, it’s clear that Baton Rouge General is committed to building a world-class robotics program, bringing together the best technology and the best physicians to provide unparalleled patient care,” said Dr. John J. Tabor, a surgeon at BRG’s Advanced Robotics Institute. “Using this platform further strengthens our multidisciplinary approach to complex medical conditions like cancer care, allowing real-time consultation with our medical and radiation oncology colleagues while in the operating room, and giving us access to more data and a better way to analyze and understand it.”
The HUB platform integrates with the da Vinci robotic surgery system to capture and share imaging and can be used for any procedure performed using the da Vinci robot. In the future, the platform will have artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, with the ability to track hand motion and instrument usage during a procedure to make surgery safer and more efficient.
Dr. Tabor trains other surgeons across the country on robotic procedures, and training capabilities will continue to grow with the use of this new digital platform.
“Our patients take comfort in knowing that we are leaders in the field of robotics, training other surgeons on how to improve surgical care in their facilities,” Dr. Tabor said. “Surgeons from as far away as Brazil have travelled to attend our courses, and now they can get real-time instruction without leaving their office, improving patient care across the country and the world.”
BRG has four da Vinci robots in all, and surgery cases using them have grown by 70% over the last year. The da Vinci robotic surgery system is used for many types of general surgery, and for a host of specialties including cardiothoracic, gastroenterology, oncology, urology, and gynecology. They allow the surgeon’s hand movements to be translated into smaller, precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body. BRG ranks in the top 10% in the nation in volume, quality and outcomes for those hospitals using the da Vinci robots.
For more information on BRG’s Advanced Robotics Institute, visit brgeneral.org/robotics.
About Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with over 600 licensed beds between three campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General is affiliated with several medical school programs, and offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter @BRGeneral and Instagram @batonrougegeneral.
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