UF Health Leesburg Hospital acquires new da Vinci Xi Surgical System

UF Health Central Florida, the region’s largest and most comprehensive health care provider, has added a second da Vinci Xi Surgical System — this one to provide advanced robotic-assisted procedures at the UF Health Leesburg Hospital campus.

In 2014, UF Health The Villages^® Hospital performed the area’s first robotic-assisted procedure on its da Vinci system, which has given the hospital’s surgeons far greater minimally invasive surgery options. The new system arrived at UF Health Leesburg Hospital in early July and will be used for a variety of complex procedures, including nephrectomy, prostatectomy, hysterectomy, cholecystectomy, hernia repair, bowel surgery and more.

On July 5, Venkata K. Marella, M.D., a board-certified urologist, performed the first robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for kidney cancer at UF Health Leesburg Hospital.

“I have been performing these surgeries for 11 years and I was beyond impressed with the operating room team at UF Health Leesburg Hospital following our successful first case,” Marella said.

The system’s advanced robotic computer and optical technologies allow surgeons to perform complex procedures through small incisions. Benefits to patients typically include a faster recovery, minimal scarring and pain, decreased blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker return to daily activities.

“Placing the most current technologies in the hands of the incredibly talented and experienced surgeons we have at UF Health Leesburg Hospital — such as Dr. Marella — means we can offer patients the very best combination of skill and innovation,” said Heather Long, UF Health Central Florida chief executive officer. “We are proud to add this capability to our expanding list of advanced minimally invasive services.”

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About University of Florida Health

UF Health is a world-class academic health center that combines leading-edge research at campuses around Florida with outstanding clinical care at a network of hospitals around the state. The flagship is UF Health Shands Hospital, part of Florida’s preeminent health system, with 10 adult and pediatric specialties ranked among the nation’s elite top 50 programs in the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals and Best Children’s Hospitals surveys. That’s more than any other hospital in Florida.

With hospital campuses in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Central Florida as well as satellite locations throughout North and Central Florida, UF Health provides leading-edge health care to patients across the third-most populous state in the nation. UF Health consists of six health colleges, 10 research centers and institutes, 10 hospitals — including two teaching hospitals and five specialty hospitals — and a host of physician medical practices and outpatient services.

The backbone of UF Health is a talented and dedicated workforce of more than 30,000 people who provide lifesaving care and research breakthroughs for more than 3 million patients who come to UF Health each year from around the U.S. and more than 40 countries.

Annually, UF Health contributes more than $4.6 billion to Florida’s overall economy.

Our mission is to promote health through outstanding and high-quality patient care, innovative and rigorous education in the health professions and biomedical sciences, and high-impact research across the spectrum of basic, translational and clinical investigation. Visit https://ufhealth.org/ to learn more.

About UF Health Central Florida

UF Health Central Florida is an award-winning, not-for-profit health care system and the largest, most comprehensive provider of health care services in the region. We care for patients in Lake, Sumter and Marion counties through inpatient acute hospital services at UF Health The Villages® Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital, inpatient rehabilitation services at UF Health The Villages® Rehabilitation Hospital, 24/7 emergency care at UF Health The Villages® Hospital Freestanding E.R. at Brownwood and diagnostic laboratory services at several locations. As a premier health care provider, UF Health Central Florida takes pride in providing progressive, innovative technology, along with building strong relationships with patients, families, physicians and residents of the communities we serve. Visit hcentralflorida.UFHealth.org to learn more.