This morning, Overlake Medical Center colorectal surgeons demonstrated the new EndoWrist Robotic Stapler, a surgical device used to repair a variety of conditions affecting the colon.

Overlake’s fellowship-trained, colorectal surgeons, Martin Herman, MD, and Mitra Ehsan, MD, showed members of the media how the stapler is used and why it can make a significant difference in the lives of patients.

Overlake is the first hospital in the Northwest to add this new robotic tool to assist surgeons doing colorectal procedures in the delicate and confined spaces of the pelvis. Dr. Herman was the first surgeon in Washington state to use the EndoWrist Stapler in a colorectal surgery. In Redmond, Overlake has one primary care clinic and one urgent care clinic.

Colorectal surgeons using the EndoWrist stapler and the da Vinci robotic system can operate with enhanced vision and greater precision, dexterity and control. Surgeons use a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and special wristed instruments that bend and rotate with maneuverability far greater than the human wrist. At Overlake, the EndoWrist Stapler is used in procedures such as robotic colectomy and rectopexy, and will help deliver the following benefits to patients: less blood loss, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery.

“Our top priority at Overlake Medical Center is to provide all our patients with exceptional medical care,” said Craig Hendrickson, CEO of Overlake Medical Center. “This new surgical technology is one way we can make sure our patients receive the best care possible.”

In demonstrating the stapler, Overlake is helping bring surgery treatments for sensitive conditions, some of which are not readily talked about, to the forefront. Only a small percentage of surgeons are trained in the latest colorectal robotic techniques.