09/22/2021

Dr. Jeffrey Segil Marks 500th Robotic Surgery

When Dr. Jeffrey Segil, gynecologist at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, sat down at the helm of the da Vinci Xi surgical system to perform a hysterectomy on August 25, he was unaware of the milestone he was crossing.

“I really wasn’t counting; I had no idea this was coming up,” Segil said.

But his surgical team was aware and marked his 500th robotic surgery at the hospital with a plaque and cake after the day’s cases were completed.

“He always shares a bit of knowledge that facilitates our ability to consistently give safe and effective patient care. He truly cares about his patients and their long-term outcome,” said Segil’s main Surgical Technologist, Elaine Zubkus.

In 2005, Wentworth-Douglass became the first hospital in the state to get a robot. It started as a tool for Gynecology and Segil says it has been a game-changer.

“It improves quality of care, improves patient experience, improves outcomes,” Segil said of the Xi. “I actually prefer to try and minimize surgery for patients, try and talk patients our of surgery when they don’t need it. I think everyone should avoid unnecessary surgery. But if they must have a surgery, this makes a huge difference in their quality of care and their experience."

“It is so important that the community realizes the talented surgeons and wonderful resources we have at WDH. Patients get the best care, skilled surgeons and top technology,” Zubkus said.

Dr. Segil performs about 20 cases a month at the hospital – not all of them robotic. He says the hospital has been incredibly supportive of the robotic system and getting staff trained on it.

Since the technology has been introduced at Wentworth-Douglass, more than 7,000 cases have been completed using it. In addition to gynecological surgeries, general surgery, including colorectal, bariatric and urologic are also completed using the robot. With two da Vinci surgical robots, Wentworth-Douglass is the largest, most experienced robotic surgical program on the Seacoast. The multi-discipline team of surgeons do more state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgical procedures using da Vinci’s sophisticated robotic platform than any other area hospital.

“Our mission is to advance what’s possible in minimally invasive care and to reduce the amount of open surgery that patients receive,” said Nora Bernarducci, senior clinical sales representative with Intuitive, makers of the da Vinci Xi. “Our goal is to help people get back to what matters most.”

Segil said it allows the hospital to offer the best possible care to patients, reducing what was once a multi-night hospital stay down to a matter of hours, in some cases.

“We have a very wonderful staff, we have a very committed hospital and staff that are very committed to really excelling, always working on education and improving whatever they’re doing. It makes a huge difference,” Segil said. “No matter what’s going on, everyone is always thinking about what’s going to be best for the patient.”

To learn more about the robotic surgery offerings at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, visit https://www.wdhospital.org/wdh/services-and-specialties/surgical-care/robotic-assisted-surgery