The Coliseum Robotics Institute at Coliseum Medical Centers has earned special recognition as the first Mentoring Center for Robotic Surgery south of Atlanta. Two local physicians, Dr. Douglas Brewer and Dr. John Williams, serve as the program’s hosts, teaching other surgeons to use robotic technology.  This designation was offered by Intuitive Surgical, the maker of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System.

To become a Mentoring Center, Intuitive Surgical requires that the program include a host surgeon who has completed 100 cases; teachable, reproducible and effective surgical techniques; and willingness to work toward being the most highly-rated Epicenter in the nation.
 
Lance Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Coliseum Medical Centers, said, “When you learn a new skill, you want to be taught by the best.  Coliseum Medical Centers is the leader in robotic surgery in Middle Georgia because of our skilled surgeons like Dr. Brewer and Dr. Williams.  It’s extremely fitting that physicians from across the country will be taught by these two phenomenal surgeons.”
 
When Coliseum Medical Centers launched the robotic surgery program in 2011, it was the first hospital in Middle Georgia to perform robotic thoracic surgery, colorectal, gallbladder, and single-site hysterectomy surgery. Today, the Coliseum Robotics Institute offers robotic procedures including general, gynecological, gynecologic oncology, oncologic, and colorectal surgery.
 
During robotic surgery, the robot doesn’t perform the surgery on its own—rather, the surgeon uses the robot as a surgical tool.  Most robotic procedures make much smaller incisions than the ones made during a traditional procedure. These smaller incisions have multiple benefits for the patient such as reduced scarring, less blood loss, and shorter recovery time.