FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Cathy Semar
St. Joseph Hospital – Orange
714-744-8611
cathy.semar@stjoe.org
St. Joseph Hospital to Perform First Single-Incision
Gallbladder Removal in Orange County
Robotic Surgery Procedure Will Allow Surgeon to Perform Single-Incision
Cholecystectomy through Belly Button
ORANGE, Calif., March 13, 2012 – St. Joseph Hospital in Orange – one of the busiest hospital surgical
centers in the state -- will perform the first single-incision cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) in
Orange County using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System on Wednesday, March 14. General surgeon
Sami Hamamji, M.D. will remove the patient’s gallbladder through a single incision through the belly
button.
“This exciting new technology paired with our highly trained medical staff means better surgical
outcomes for our patients,” said Kevin Lundon, Vice President of Operations for St. Joseph Hospital in
Orange. “Not only will this outpatient surgical procedure be safer and less invasive, the recovery period
is significantly reduced and there will be virtually no visible scar from the single incision through the
umbilical.”
In the past, gallbladder removals have been performed either through open surgery, which requires a
large opening in the abdomen, or laparoscopic surgery, which requires multiple incision sites. The
gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that sits just below the liver on the upper right side of the abdomen.
It collects and stores bile — a digestive fluid produced in the liver – and its removal can relieve the pain
and discomfort of gallstones. The new surgical method with the da Vinci system will lead to safer
outcomes and fast recovery times.
The da Vinci system has been used for an array of other types of surgeries and was just recently FDAapproved for gallbladder removals. The system allows surgeons to operate with accurate precision,
enhanced maneuverability and three-dimensional visualization.
St. Joseph Hospital is second in the state of California and first in Orange County for total surgical
volume (27,527 procedures) according to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
statistics (CY2010). The hospital’s 31 operating rooms feature today’s most sophisticated technology for
performing highly complex inpatient procedures as well as minimally invasive outpatient procedures.
About St. Joseph Hospital
Founded in 1929, St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California is a nationally recognized, 525-bed, not-forprofit Catholic hospital dedicated to extending the healing ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Orange. Fully accredited by The Joint Commission and designated as a Magnet hospital for nursing
excellence, St. Joseph Hospital’s reputation for clinical excellence and compassionate, family-centered
care draws patients from all over the United States. This is one reason why St. Joseph Hospital was
named one of the top 10 hospitals in the Los Angeles/Orange County area by U.S. News & World Report.
With a highly recognized 1,000-member medical staff and more than 3,800 support staff, St. Joseph
Hospital is home to more than 75 specialty programs, including The Center for Cancer Prevention and
Treatment, the Heart and Vascular Center and a nationally acclaimed Orthopedics program that has
been ranked among the top 50 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Equally important is St.
Joseph Hospital’s dedication to caring for the medically underserved through health education
programs, a free-standing medical and dental clinic, and mobile health vans. St. Joseph Hospital depends
on philanthropic support from the community to carry out its mission. These efforts are coordinated
through the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation. For more information, visit www.sjo.org.
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