Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


New robotic-assisted surgery is now available for residents of Livingston County at a local medical center.

The procedures, with the assistance of a robot, are performed at Trinity Heath Medical Center – Brighton, located on Grand River near Hacker Road. It’s said to be a “great development for patients in Livingston County who require advanced care”.

Earlier this fall, Dr. Mark Jonker completed the first successful surgery at the Center with the da Vinci XI Surgical System. It’s a robot that can perform general surgeries — like an appendectomy, as well as urologic and gynecologic surgeries.

The system provides Dr. Jonker, his surgical partner, Dr. Eric Davies, and other skilled Livingston County robotic surgeons with advanced instrumentation, vision, and imaging, ensuring the “highest quality of care is provided to patients”. Trinity Health says the procedures are also minimally invasive - meaning that small incisions are made during the operation; leading to faster recovery, less pain, and less scarring.

Dr. Jonker said “The first procedure with the robot was performed on a patient who needed gallbladder surgery, and it could not have gone any better. Because this was minimally invasive, the patient’s recovery time was much quicker, and they didn’t need as many pain medications. We are looking forward to many more successful procedures in the years to come.”

Since robotic-assisted surgery typically requires less time than traditional surgery, the addition of the new system is expected to create greater capacity for surgeons.

Trinity Health noted that Livingston County is no stranger to the da Vinci robot. Physicians at Trinity Health Livingston Hospital have been performing surgery with the help of robotic technology since 2017.

Dr. Davies said “If you live in Livingston County and have surgical needs, there is no reason to leave the county for your health care needs. The robots allow us to provide very precise procedures to high-risk patients. There is no better place to receive high-quality, advanced health care than here in Livingston County at the Brighton Medical Center and at Trinity Health Livingston. We are here for you and your family every step of the way”.