Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) is the first hospital in the northwestern North Carolina area to offer state-of-the-art robotic surgical technology to patients with the da Vinci® Surgical System, an innovative surgical platform designed to enable complex, minimally invasive surgery.

CVMC's initial application of this breakthrough technology is radical prostatectomy. Two medical center surgeons, Edward R. Gerrard, Jr., M.D., and Douglas A. Eller, M.D., of the Viewmont Urology Clinic in Hickory, successfully performed CVMC's first radical prostatectomy procedure with the da Vinci on Feb. 14, 2006.

"We believe robotics represents yet another step toward our industry's continual quest for better and better patient outcomes," said J. Anthony Rose, President & CEO of Catawba Valley Medical Center. "Because of this, it was important for Catawba Valley Medical Center to invest in the da Vinci system. By offering this breakthrough technology to the communities we serve, we are able to provide a quality of care that has previously been unavailable in our area."

That quality of care offers significant benefits to patients who undergo robotic-assisted surgery, including less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stays, less risk of infection and complications, less blood loss and transfusions, and shorter recovery time.

"A traditional radical prostatectomy requires incisions of eight to ten inches, and it often affects nerves that permanently impact sexual function," said Dr. Gerrard, Jr. "Recovery time is lengthy, and the surgery itself runs a greater risk of complications. The da Vinci radical prostatectomy is performed through a few tiny incisions, each usually measuring less than two centimeters wide. Because robotic-assisted surgery is significantly less invasive, it leads to higher recovery success rates."

"The da Vinci system has revolutionized the practice of radical prostatectomies," said Dr. Eller. "Robotic-assisted surgery with the da Vinci allows us to conduct extremely precise surgical operations with a high degree of fluidity and accuracy. When compared with traditional open surgery and even laparoscopic surgery, the da Vinci system can result in better clinical outcomes and allow our patients to return to active, productive lives more quickly."

The system has received FDA clearances for use in general surgery, urology including prostatectomy, and cardiothoracic surgeries including lung, heart and mitral valve repairs. Eventually, CVMC plans to utilize the da Vinci system within additional specialties as training protocols are completed.

About the da Vinci® Surgical System
The da Vinci Surgical System consists of an ergonomically designed surgeon's console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a 3-D vision system with an endoscopic camera, and miniature surgical instruments. Powered by computer-enhanced technology, the surgeon's hand movements at the console are scaled, filtered and seamlessly translated into precise movements of the surgical instruments inside the patient. The technology extends the surgeons' capabilities by providing a three-dimensional view of the operating field and improving access to the surgical site through small instrument "ports" that eliminate the need for large incisions. The system also provides full freedom of movement at its instrument tips, allowing precise operation in a closed chest, abdomen or pelvis.

The da Vinci system is manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG), the global leader in the rapidly emerging field of robotic-assisted surgery.