Local surgeon performs 100th robotic case at Mat-Su Regional

5/28/2020

PALMER, AK – On the morning of Oct. 22, Dr. Shannon Gulley finished scrubbing up in preparation for her first gallbladder removal surgery of the day at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Twenty-two minutes later, she had completed her 100th robotic surgery at the hospital.

Gulley reached this noteworthy accomplishment using Mat-Su Regional’s newest surgical technology--a four-armed robot that provides a greater range of motion and extended reach over previous generations of surgical robotics.

The hospital added the latest model to its fleet of surgical tools last November. Gulley said the upgrade has allowed her to expand the range of procedures she can now do. She recently performed a colon surgery that would have traditionally required her patient to spend a week in the hospital post-operation, but because of the non-invasive approach of the robot-assisted surgery system, the patient was able to go home after a few days. 

Gulley has been working with the hospital’s robotic system consistently for about three years and uses the tool mainly for hernia removal. For her, the most beneficial aspect of the technology is how she can perform intricate procedures. 

“It really changes how you approach, not just the surgery, but then the aftercare for the patients and how quickly they get back to normal activities,” Gulley said.

The robot significantly reduces pain levels and post-surgery recovery time for most patients, but some still have concerns about being operated on in this non-traditional way. Gulley always lets a patient know that she will be using the robot, and makes sure to explain that it is a tool, just like any other instrument used in surgery.

“I explain why I like it--it gives me wristed instruments,” Gulley said, referring to the robot’s mechanical joints that bend and rotate to mimic the manual dexterity and tactile function of the human hand. Gulley noted by contrast that “when you operate with laparoscopic, it’s more like using chopsticks because they’re straight.”

Another essential feature of the robot is the 3DHD camera, giving the surgeon the ability to see the process in magnification. “The visualization is pretty amazing,” Gulley said. “It’s like looking at it in an open fashion.” 

The control console is usually located in the same room right next to the patient. Some have been misinformed that the robot actually controls itself during surgery, according to Gulley. However the robot is guided by human hands, although it does simultaneously minimize human error, such as trembling.

A common worry is that the new technology will add additional cost to a medical bill, but at Mat-Su Regional, there is no upcharge for robotic procedures.

“Which I think is a nice benefit, because there are pieces of it that probably do cost the hospital a little bit more, but we don’t pass that onto the patients,” said Gulley. 

“Investing in robotic technology is really an investment in the health of our community, and the surgeons who perform intricate, complex procedures,” said Alan Craft, Mat-Su Regional’s director of marketing and public relations. “We’ve built our robotics program around the talents of our surgeons--like Dr. Gulley--who are leveraging technology to produce better results for patients.”

The system complements the hospital’s advanced robotics program for orthopedic care, Craft said. He added that Mat-Su Regional is the only facility in the area with this level of technology.

Craft noted that there are 10 surgeons on the hospital’s medical staff who perform robotic procedures with the system. It is used for urologic surgeries, gynecological procedures, cancer surgeries, colon surgeries, gallbladder removal, and general procedures like hernia repairs.

Training for robotic surgery is ongoing, Gulley said. Her education started off with online courses and observations of other surgeons using the robot. Eventually she moved into proctored cases before she was allowed to perform procedures on patients independently. But improvement doesn’t stop there.

“I’m always reading, watching new videos, you know, trying to see how other people do things,” she said. 

Gulley came from Montana where she practiced for eight years and has now worked in the Mat-Su Valley for five years. Her practice, Glacier Surgical Associates, moved to its new location in Palmer just over a year ago. As a medical provider and a business owner, Gulley is loving freedom that the new clinic space gives her.  Out of all the locations that she has worked as a provider, she prefers Mat-Su Regional for her surgeries. 

“Our preop (preoperative) and postop (postoperative) nurses routinely do a good job of putting our patients at ease, which I think makes my life easier because my patients are happy,” she said. 

As she reflects on the last three years of her robotic surgery cases, Gulley looks forward to what the future holds for her next 100 cases.

“Mat-Su and the OR (operating room) staff has grown over that time and we’ve made our robotics program better and better, and we will continue to make it better,” she said. 

Back