Jackson Hospital Welcomes Cutting-Edge Surgical Robot
By: Shelia Mader
Jackson Hospital recently reached a major milestone in surgical innovation. On October 1, Dr. Chai Arunakul performed the hospital’s first surgery using the new da Vinci 5 Surgical Robot, marking a new era of minimally invasive care for patients in the community.
Dr. Arunakul, who had never used robotic surgery before, said the experience was both exciting and educational. “It’s a new learning process for me, but it will definitely help our patients and allow us to bring more specialties into the hospital,” he explained. “Overall, it’s going to help us provide even better care.”
His colleague, Dr. Rachel Barnes, is no stranger to robotic surgery. “This is the new robot, the DB5, which just came out this past year,” she said. “Before this, I worked with the DaVinci Xi and have done a few hundred cases. It’s really fun technology, it’s amazing what it can do.”
Together, Dr. Barnes and Dr. Arunakul perform a range of procedures using the new system. “I do all kinds of surgeries, gallbladders, hernias, colectomies,” Dr. Arunakul said. “Dr. Barnes specializes in bariatric surgery.”
Dr. Barnes added, “Yes, I focus on weight loss surgeries like gastric sleeves and gastric bypasses, as well as other foregut procedures such as hiatal hernia repairs and anti-reflux surgeries. And of course, all the general surgery cases Dr. Arunakul mentioned.”
When asked how robotic surgery compares to traditional methods, both surgeons pointed to clear advantages. “For older surgeons, it offers greater magnification and dexterity,” said Dr. Arunakul. “It’s just a better technique overall.”
Dr. Barnes highlighted the benefits for patients. “They typically have fewer incisions and recover faster,” she said. “I always tell my patients that laparoscopic surgery is like operating with chopsticks. The robot, though, gives me wrist-like motion and allows for much finer dissection in smaller spaces. It’s better overall.”
Jackson Hospital CEO Brooke Donaldson said the addition of the da Vinci 5 robot reflects the hospital’s commitment to bringing advanced care to the region. “We acquired the robot a couple of months ago and are thrilled to offer this technology to our patients,” she said. “The da Vinci system has been around for decades, but this newest version represents a major leap forward. We’re proud to be one of the first hospitals in the area to have it.”
Donaldson emphasized that the new system will improve patient outcomes. “It will decrease length of stay, reduce pain, and shorten recovery time,” she explained.
The acquisition came together quickly thanks to the support of the hospital’s leadership. “We have a great board of trustees who believe in advancing healthcare for our community,” Donaldson said. “What could have been a long process was actually pretty fast, we went from considering it to acquiring it in about 90 days.”
She also credited Dr. Arunakul for helping bring the technology to Jackson Hospital. “He was instrumental in expressing interest and wanting to train on the robot,” Donaldson said. “When recruiting new surgeons, we realized most are already trained on this kind of state-of-the-art equipment. We believe our rural patients deserve the same level of care and technology as those in larger cities.”
With the da Vinci 5 now in place and its first successful surgery complete, Jackson Hospital is looking ahead to expanding its robotic surgery program. “It’s an exciting step for our hospital and our patients,” said Donaldson. “This is the future of surgery, and it’s happening right here in our community.”
