Dr. Spaniolas with the da Vinci robot. (Photo: Stony Brook Southampton Hospital)

At the end of February 2025, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH) reached an exciting milestone. After extensive preparation and training by hospital staff, Dr. Konstantinos Spaniolas performed the inaugural surgery using “Leo,” SBSH’s new da Vinci Xi surgical robot. This groundbreaking technology enables surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures with unparalleled precision and dexterity, marking a transformative step forward in patient care.

“Starting a program like that doesn’t happen in a day. We were preparing for a while, getting the equipment and facilities ready, and the staff, the training they needed to adopt the technology,” Dr. Spaniolas noted. Reflecting on the first procedures, he added, “It was a wild success. The cases went super smoothly. You couldn’t tell that this was the first day the team was coming together for a robotic surgery.”

Dr. Spaniolas has been utilizing robotic-assisted technology for the past four years and has performed over 500 procedures. “That has allowed me to adopt robotic technology in different types of surgeries,” he explained.

The da Vinci system is comprised of three key components: the surgeon console, patient cart, and vision cart. “As a surgeon, you have full control of four arms simultaneously, so that gives you full control of the operating room,” Dr. Spaniolas explained. “You’re able to manage everything from the camera to two operating hands and an assistant hand.”

He also highlighted the system’s advanced visualization capabilities. “Having 3D visualization of the surgical field really gives you a very complete view of what is happening. You are able to have precision and magnification. It is 3D visualization upfront as you need it to do precise dissection or suturing.”

The da Vinci system enhances surgical precision by translating a surgeon’s hand movements at the console into highly refined instrument actions in real time. Its wristed instruments mimic human hand motions with an even greater range of flexibility, while the system’s high-definition, magnified 3D imaging provides an exceptionally detailed view of the surgical site. The minimally invasive approach—made possible by the small size of these instruments—allows surgeons to perform procedures through just one or a few tiny incisions. “That level of precision and dexterity allows you to operate through those small incisions in very tight spaces where surgery would be a lot more complicated,” Dr. Spaniolas explained.

Beyond precision, the da Vinci Xi offers significant benefits for patients. “By doing cases with the robot, it helps with recovery time, having less pain, the patients go home sooner, they have a better experience,” said Dr. Georgios Georgakis, who has been involved in robotics since his residency and is leading the implementation of robotic surgery at SBSH. “I did realize that minimally invasive surgery, in general, will be the future. You can perform these difficult procedures without having to revert to the big open surgery.”

Another major advantage is the ability to conduct virtual consultations during surgery. “With the robot, you can get someone on the phone; they can log in to the computer and see exactly what you see. You can get expert advice on the spot,” Dr. Georgakis said.

Looking ahead, both doctors are excited about the future of robotics at SBSH. “Instead of the patients needing to travel to get their surgeries, we will be able to bring the surgeons to the doorstep,” Dr. Georgakis said. “Now, more specialized surgeons will be able to come and work here.”