KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) -- Laparoscopic surgery, also known as minimally invasive surgery, has been a mainstay of surgeons for a very long time, and as technology continues to improve, robotic surgeries are becoming increasingly common. These procedures require systems that are quite expensive and surgeons to undergo a whole new kind of training.

Until recently, any time an Air Force surgeon wanted to perform a robotic surgery they used a system in place at a private hospital as part of an external resource sharing agreement and were trained on the system during a course that required them to be away from their clinic.

The Keesler Medical Center recently acquired two da Vinci Xi robotic surgical systems, one for surgeries and the other for training, which is one of the newest systems out there and the first of its kind for the Air Force. Also, Keesler’s Clinical Research Laboratory has set up a training facility, the Institute for Defense Robotic Surgical Education (InDoRSE), for surgeons to obtain official robotic surgery credentials.

“Robotics is the standard of care for several surgical procedures, and the market in the private sector is exploding,” said Maj. (Dr.) Joshua Tyler, the 81st Surgical Operations Squadron robotic surgery director. “If you’re not doing robotics, you’re not going to be competitive and the reason for that is better outcomes for the patients.”

It’s the patient that has to deal with most of the outcomes of surgery, and when it comes to robotic surgery there can be a lot of positive benefits.

“Smaller incisions, lower risk of hernia, and a lower risk of infection means getting out of the hospital sooner,” Tyler said. “Each additional day in the hospital is $1,600. If we’re having better outcomes and eliminating some of these risks, we’re saving money and doing better by our patients.”

According to Tyler, a good example of this is hernia surgery, which current techniques can leave patients in pain. With robotic surgery, the post-operative pain is much lower for patients resulting in faster recovery.

One of the biggest problems with robotic surgeries, though, isn’t having the equipment. The problem is someone could be a fully trained and educated surgeon and still be unable to perform robotic surgeries because they haven’t completed the training. Getting those credentials takes money, travel time and a very specific curriculum.

InDoRSE is solving that problem for not only Keesler AFB but also Defense Department surgeons by establishing a training program right on base. InDoRSE’s focus has always been on training, graduate medical education, and research and development. For Lt. Col. (Dr.) Thomas Shaak, the 81st Medical Support Squadron CRL director, creating a program for the da Vinci Xi falls in line with their mission.

“With this research robot in the InDoRSE training site, our residents will graduate with fully recognized robot credentials,” said Shaak. “Our surgeons should already be trained in surgeries and with this credential we’re giving them another tool in their toolkit to properly select good candidates for robotic procedures.”

According to Shaak, Intuitive Surgical, the manufacturers of the da Vinci Xi surgical system and the usual providers of robotic credentials, have agreed to a unique partnership where they will recognize the training coming from the InDoRSE training site. The site also allows for surgeons from other locations to obtain their credentials in addition to those assigned to Keesler AFB.

“This is pushing technology and innovation for the next generation of surgeons and surgical technology,” Shaak said. “We’re bringing that to our patients in the name of better outcomes. The better the outcomes, the better it is for the patients and the more money is saved.”

The vision for the InDoRSE training facility extends to not just the Air Force but the DOD as a whole. This includes more than just surgeons. Since nurses and technicians need robotic surgery training as well for their respective roles, Shaak and his team want to train anyone who can benefit from it.

“What we’re doing here is unique,” Tyler said. “Utilizing this machine, which is the only one in the DOD, the Keesler AFB team has created the only joint training site in the DOD. This meets a need not just for Air Force surgery, but also a model for other DOD medical centers as they venture into robotics.”