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V O L . X X V N O. X X S E P T E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 9 18 H E A LT H C A R E F O C U S $2 million system Factors driving the growing rate of adoption, experts agree, include better health care outcomes and broadening applications. Robotics education is becoming a standard in surgical train- ing programs. At MaineGeneral, the program's success drove the purchase of its newest model, in Augusta, at a cost of about $2 million, says CEO Chuck Hays. "We had 540 surgeries last year on one robot, which is quite a bit," he says. Overall, says Hays, the cost-benefit ratio is favorable. "It's a little more expensive on the operating side, in that robotic proce- dures take about 20 minutes longer than laparoscopic procedure for most cases," says Hays. "But it shortens the length of stay on the inpatient side after surgery." Mind shift e technology represents something of an intellectual shift. "e robot trains you to use all of your senses" in order to get the "hand" feeling of the surgery, says Dr. Lisa Beaule, medical director of Perioperative and Operative Services and associate chair of Surgical Services at Portland's Maine Medical Center, where about 1,000 robotic surgeries were performed in 2018. "Imagine if you were tying a knot. You could close your eyes and tie the knot and, based on the tension of the string, you would know whether or not the knot is tight. With the robot, you use your eyes to know if the knot is tight." But adapting is not as difficult as one might think. "As it is, health care is changing very rapidly and we're continuous learners our entire lives," says Beaule. e technology can only be used for certain procedures under certain conditions, experts explain. As such, robotic procedures are only a fraction of overall surgeries. But that could grow, says Central Maine Healthcare Chief of Surgery Scott Johnson. "I think, in the next 10 years or so, most centers around the country will have not just one robot but a number of them," says Johnson. "As more surgeons start using robots, we'll see people developing new techniques and new instruments. e explosion of what the robot is being used for is exponential and will continue to go up." Biddeford • Kennebunk • Scarborough • Waterboro biddefordsavings.com 207-284-5906 Business Banking Team: Left to Right: Laura Warner, Kristina Cote, Ma-Li Guillerault, Cindy Convery, Jeanne Hulit, Doug Jones, Laurie Warchol, Naomme Paris, Dan Colby, and Pamela Reynolds. We have a strong commitment to small businesses. As your business partner, our goal is to understand your business and help you achieve your short and long-term goals. When you're ready for a dedicated team of local bankers who genuinely care about your financial well-being, we should talk. We understand the unqiue needs of running a business. After all, we're a local business, too. R EGI ONAL S PONS OR S PR ES ENTI NG S PONS OR Join us at our fifth stop in the 2019 On the Road with Mainebiz event series in Brunswick! We will host our reception at The Brunswick Hotel & Tavern as we showcase the Bath/Brunswick community and network with the greater Brunswick business community! Enjoy hors-d'oeuvres and a cash bar while networking with business executives in the area. Be sure to bring business cards to hand out to new connections that you make. Network with the Brunswick business community! FOLLOW US @MBEVENTS #OTRBrunswick19 September 25 | 5 – 7pm | The Brunswick Hotel & Tavern AT T E N DA N C E I S FREE B U T S PAC E I S LIMITED! Please be sure to register ahead at mainebiz.biz/OTRBrunswick BRUNSWICK » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E

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