Providence Tarzana recently celebrated a “milestone,” with the 2000th robotic surgery procedure performed, officials said Tuesday.

Though typically a lifesaving necessity, surgery is oftentimes begrudged for its incisions, long operating and recovery times, the potential for blood loss, post-procedural complications, and in some cases, the visible scars it can leave in its wake, Providence officials said in a statement.

Over the last several years, robotic-assisted surgery has become a preferred, minimally-invasive alternative to specific types of traditional surgeries, “vastly” improving the patients’ experience and clinical outcomes, according to officials.

Established in January 2015, the high-volume Providence Tarzana Medical Center Robotics Surgery Program completed its 2,000th surgery on Oct. 3, which breaks down to over 500 cases each year. This is “quite a feat” given that the average robotics surgery program completes somewhere between 100 to 200 cases annually, according to Providence Health.

“This means that to date, 2,000 patients were able to have their robotic surgery and receive excellent care close to home, rather than traveling outside the valley,” said Dr. Mayank Patel, medical director of the hospital’s Robotics Surgery Program. “This is critical to patients, as it also allows for increased coordination between their primary care physician and the rest of their care teams.”

A University of California Los Angeles-trained urologist who completed a fellowship in robotics surgery in Seattle, Patel worked with hospital leadership and advocated for Providence Tarzana’s Robotics Surgery Program, highlighting a need in the community, as well as the surgical expertise that the medical center already had, officials said.

Providence Tarzana became the fifth hospital in the valley to start its own formal robotics program.

Today, the program is routinely recognized as one of the best and largest in the area, staffed with highly-trained experts and made possible with the latest robotics surgical technology – the da Vinci Xi system, officials said.

With a wide range of surgical applications, the team can perform urological, general, colorectal, benign gynecology, gynecologic oncology procedures and more. The 2,000th case, where one of Providence Tarzana’s own employees happened to be the patient, was a hepatobiliary procedure.

“It was a natural choice to come to Providence Tarzana for this surgery,” said the 2,000th patient before her procedure. “The care I receive, from the surgeon to the nursing team, is always phenomenal.”

Board-certified and University of California Irvine-trained minimally invasive surgeon Dr. Nojan Toomari performed the 2,000th milestone case. Toomari also serves as the hospital’s medical director of gastroesophageal surgery.

Ed. Note: This information has been provided by Providence St. Joseph Health.

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