oBand uses the da Vinci Surgical System to perform the world's first robotic surgery in an outpatient surgical center

oBand Surgery Centers, the nation's leading bariatric network of outpatient surgical facilities owned and operated by nationally recognized Lap Band surgeons, has set a new 'first' in the use of robotics for outpatient surgery. oBand Director of Robotic Surgery S. Adam Ramin, M.D., an assistant professor at City of Hope National Medical Center, today announced they have performed the world's first, outpatient robotic surgery using the famed da Vinci® Surgical System. Dr. Ramin performed the innovative surgery in July in Los Angeles using Robotics to remove a patient's pelvic cyst.

oBand Chief Executive Officer Isaac Verbukh, M.D. states, "In our continuing goal to stay on the leading edge of the surgical forefront, oBand is providing a new era of safety and care to its patients. Using this revolutionary robotic system, oBand plans to expand its outpatient surgeries to treat prostate cancer, prostate enlargement, kidney cancer, congenital kidney deformity, female pelvic prolapse and infertility."

Says Dr. Ramin, "Our pioneering procedure was the first robotic surgery ever performed in an outpatient surgical center. This groundbreaking approach will allow us to perform outpatient robotic surgeries for patients with a wide range of different urologic illnesses. At oBand, we are focused on providing the most innovative and least invasive surgical procedures with the ultimate goal of patient safety and improved quality of life."

The da Vinci® System is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to enable complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach. It consists of an ergonomic surgeon's console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance 3D HD vision system and proprietary EndoWrist® instruments. Powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology, the da Vinci® System is designed to scale, filter and seamlessly translate the surgeon's hand movements into more precise movements of the EndoWrist instruments. The net result is an intuitive interface with breakthrough surgical capabilities.

Using robotics provides a multitude of benefits for patients including improved safety, less risk, reduced trauma and pain, and faster recovery. With more and more cases emerging of resistant bacterial infections in the hospital setting, oBand's outpatient setting provides a controlled environment reducing the patient's exposure to post operative infection as compared to surgery performed in a hospital.