LUTZ – St. Joseph’s Hospital-North expanded its robotic surgery services with the addition of a third surgical robot in January to keep up with demand.
The three robots are guided by surgeons who are specially trained and experienced in robotic surgery. They performed 908 robotic surgeries last year. The hospital saw a 70% increase in robotic surgeries from 2021 to 2025.
Robotic surgery uses precise incisions, allowing unhealthy tissue to be removed without affecting surrounding healthy tissue. Smaller incisions cause less trauma and pain for a patient’s body, decrease blood loss and infection risk, and allow for quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays. Many robotic surgeries are done as outpatient surgeries and patients are discharged on the same day as their surgery.
“St. Joseph’s Hospital-North is dedicated to offering the safest, most minimally invasive surgeries to our communities, ensuring better patient outcomes, faster recovery times and greater patient satisfaction,” said Jennifer Downing, the hospital’s surgical services director. “Our patients trust that they are receiving the most advanced care, supported by cutting-edge technology and delivered by surgical teams known for their experience and compassion.”
Robotic surgery can provide St. Joseph’s Hospital-North surgeons with superior dexterity, enhanced vision and improved surgical access compared to conventional minimally invasive surgery or traditional open surgery.
The surgeon-guided robot navigates a precise approach to areas that traditional surgical instruments are unable to reach.
The four interactive arms of the robot are over the patient on the operating table. The surgeon operates the robot from a console. The console has a high-resolution screen that projects 3-D images of the surgical site.
The surgeon manually guides the surgical arms and instruments from the console using their hands and fingers. When the surgeon moves, the arms respond precisely to those movements in real time. The instruments work identically to the movement of a human arm, elbow and wrist, but with an enhanced range of motion.
“Having the opportunity to use the newest robotic surgical platform, the DV5, has been a profound privilege,” said Dr. Jonathon Tsai, a BayCare Medical Group and St. Joseph’s Hospital-North surgeon. “It has allowed me to leverage cutting-edge technology to deliver the highest standard of care to our patients at BayCare St. Joseph’s-North here in Lutz. Robotic surgery has truly shifted the surgical paradigm, offering a level of precision that significantly minimizes postoperative pain and shortens hospital stays. I look forward to the future features of the DV5 and the possibilities this updated platform holds for our field and community.”
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North is accredited as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation. The designation signifies the hospital’s robotic surgery services provide the highest quality of care.