Until recently, options for surgery in the Victor Valley included traditional surgery with a large, open incision or laparoscopy, which uses small incisions but is typically limited to very simple procedures.
A new category of surgery using minimally invasive robotics, which is a futuristic alternative to traditional methods, is changing how some surgery will be done in the High Desert.
The da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery system is now available at St. Mary Medical Center, the first and only hospital in the area offering the high-tech procedure.