PALOS HEIGHTS, IL – August 19, 2024 – In the continued quest to provide local patients with the highest level of care, staff at Northwestern Medicine Palos Heights Hospital is celebrating an exciting milestone for one of its surgeons. Samer Rajjoub, MD, surgeon at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, recently celebrated his 500^th robotic surgery. The state-of-the-art da Vinci robots allow surgeons to perform complex minimally invasive procedures with more precision, often leading to less pain for the patient post-surgery and quicker recovery times. 

“It’s a blessing that I’ve been able to do such a high volume of cases, and I think it correlates with a certain level of proficiency that I’m thankful to have achieved,” said Dr. Rajjoub. “For me to provide that level of care with this technology for my patients has been great.”  

To use the da Vinci robots, surgeons sit at a nearby console to view 3-D images of the surgical site. Using the controls, the surgeon moves the robotic instruments with accuracy and stability through small surgical incisions. This often leads to better outcomes and quicker recovery times for patients. The hospital is currently equipped with four da Vinci robotic surgical systems. 

 “The robotic camera magnifies the surgical field 10 times larger, so if I can see something better, I can absolutely do better,” said Dr. Rajjoub. “Think about virtual reality glasses. You feel like everything is right there. And that’s how the robot is. When your head is in the console, you can see the relationship of structures much better.”

 Dr. Rajjoub often uses the robot to perform surgeries for hernias, colectomies, and cholecystectomies. He says not only does the machine give him more dexterity, but it gives him a better view of the anatomy.

 One patient who benefitted from the innovative surgery was Daniel Heidegger from Oak Lawn. After abdominal hernia surgery, he spent some time recovering and within a couple hours was able to go home. 

 “I am so appreciative of how Dr. Rajjoub explained everything to me and how the procedure would go. He was very professional and concerned about my well-being. Due to my quick recovery, I felt well and was able to be present when my granddaughter was born.”

To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org. 

DEKALB, Ill. -  Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital will soon begin a $15 million renovation of its surgical suite. The 19,000-square-foot area has not had a major remodel since the new hospital building opened in 2007. Additionally, the hospital has upgraded to the latest-generation surgical robot, the da Vinci Xi, to offer a wider variety of minimally invasive procedures.

“With the new layout and a little more space, we have room for two additional Same Day Surgery bays, which we need to continue growing surgical services offered at Kishwaukee Hospital,” said JoAnn Ricketts, MSN, director of Surgical Services and Interventional Labs at Kishwaukee Hospital. “The renovation will improve workflow and efficiency, and enhance the environment for our staff and patients.”

Operating rooms and sterile processing areas will remain as is; all other areas are being refreshed and upgraded. The new floor plan will include:

• Seven Post-anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) bays
• Two new flex bays (rooms that can be used for PACU or Same Day Surgery)
• 25 Same Day Surgery bays
• Two endovascular procedure rooms with shared scope reprocessing space
• Renovated waiting room and reception area
• New team areas
• Updated staff break rooms and locker rooms

For patient privacy and comfort, all Same Day Surgery bays will become private rooms, with breakaway sliding glass entry doors. Other improvements include new boom technology and surgical lighting in the endovascular procedure rooms, and all new, state-of-the-art scope reprocessing equipment and scope drying cabinets. The area will get new furniture throughout.

“Our team is passionate about providing the highest-quality outcomes and best patient experience,” said Sarah Snyder, RN, manager of Surgical Services at Kishwaukee Hospital. “This renovation will create a more optimal space to provide exceptional care.”

Preparation work is underway, and construction is scheduled to begin in December. To keep the surgery suite open and operational during construction, the project will be done in four phases. The expected completion date is September 2024.

Kishwaukee Hospital has made an additional investment to upgrade technology within the robotic-assisted operating suite. The da Vinci Xi Surgical System, the latest generation of surgical robots, expands surgeons’ capabilities to perform minimally invasive surgery for even the most complicated scenarios. Surgeons sit at a nearby console to view 3D images of the surgical site and manipulate the arms of the robotic instruments inside the body. The tiny robotic arms allow surgeons to make smaller incisions with greater precision, typically resulting in less pain and less blood loss for the patient.

“The new robot has thinner robotic arms and joints, an improved camera, and is attached to a rotating operating table, which will allow for smaller incisions with more precision,” said Ricardo Soares, MD, urologist and robotic surgeon at Kishwaukee Hospital. “This upgrade will keep us up to date on the most cutting-edge technology.”

Currently, a surgical robot is used for prostate, kidney, bladder and gynecological surgeries at Kishwaukee Hospital. With the new technology, additional robotic-assisted general surgeries will be possible, including hernia repair and bowel resections.

The da Vinci Xi is also available at seven other Northwestern Medicine locations: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Grayslake Outpatient Center.