St. Mary's sophomore Stephanie Chen tries her hand at the Da Vinci Xi while Hannah Huff and Dr. Moriah Wright look on at Saint Francis Hospital in East Memphis April 9, 2024. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Saint Francis Center for Robotic Surgery recently teamed up with St. Mary’s Episcopal School to show its high school robotics students how the center harnesses robotic-assisted technology for better patient outcomes.

“We’re a busy high-volume center for robotics, and we take pride in excellence and making sure that we’re providing the best possible outcomes for our patients,” said Dr. Moriah Wright, a colorectal surgeon with Saint Francis Medical Partners.

Saint Francis uses robotic-assisted technology for procedure types as wide-ranging as colorectal, orthopedic, spinal and OBGYN.

Meagan Michael, the STEM teacher at St. Mary’s, an all-girls private school in East Memphis, said a visit to the hospital was the perfect opportunity for her students to see how what they learn in her classroom can be applied in the real world.

The University of Memphis alumna launched St. Mary’s robotics program in 2017. She has taught in the STEM fields for more than a decade and has twice been recognized as VEX Robotics Tennessee Teacher of the Year.

Michael has also taken five St. Mary’s teams to the World Robotics Championships. Last year’s team traveled to the finals in Dallas, Texas, where they won the Create Award for their own unique robot design.

“In the classroom setting, the girls are learning about the principles of robotics — the mechanics, the electronics, the programming of it,” Michael said.

But at Saint Francis Center for Robotic Surgery, located at Saint Francis Hospital Memphis’ main campus, the girls learned about the practical use of robots in medical care.

“The experience with surgical robotics reinforced and extended those skills,” Michael said.

Key components of robotic-assisted surgery include robotic arms, surgical consoles with hand controls and foot pedals, and high-definition 3D vision systems.

A training drill where small rubber bands are placed on cones while using the Da Vinci Xi surgical robot at Saint Francis Hospital in East Memphis April 9, 2024. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Robotic-assisted surgery allows for minimally invasive procedures that offer patients smaller incisions, less pain, less blood loss, reduced recovery time, lower risk of infection and shorter hospital stays.

For surgeons, the technology offers more precision, enhanced dexterity, 3D visualization and reduced physical strain and fatigue.

“The orthopedic surgeon talked about how the robot took x-rays of the spine to replace the ones the surgeons would take, which can expose the surgeons to a ton of radiation,” Michael said. “The girls were able to see how this technology is important not just for the patient, but also for the physicians.”

The students, who choose to take robotics as an elective course, had the opportunity to manipulate real surgical robotics equipment for a hands-on learning experience.

Saint Francis’ robotics fleet includes the The daVinci, a laparoscopic tool used for various types of robotic surgery, including colorectal and OBGYN. Made by Intuitive, it’s been in use since 2000.

“The biggest way it differs from traditional laparoscopic instruments is there are wrists at the end of the instruments that have seven degrees of freedom — the same as human wrists do,” Wright said.

Dr. Moriah Wright (left) and Dr. Rowena Desouza watch St. Mary's sophomore Stephanie Chen work on the Da Vinci Xi surgical robot at Saint Francis Hospital in East Memphis April 9, 2024. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

“And that gives us a similar level of fine motor control when we’re doing open surgery,”she said. “As a colorectal surgeon, the robot enables me to do these deep pelvic operations with small incisions, less blood loss, less pain and a quicker return to life and work.”

Michael said the hands-on learning experience with the daVinci, which replicates a surgeon’s hand movements in real time, was a big hit with her students.

Also in the hospital’s fleet: The Mako, Stryker’s instrument used for robotic arm-assisted hip and knee replacements, and The Mazor, Medtronic’s robotic-guided system for spinal surgery.

“The girls were super excited about being able to manipulate the robotics tools,” Michael said. “It ended up lasting an hour longer than expected because the girls had so many questions and the surgeons were just so engaged with the girls.”

Wright, who trains the hospital’s residents to use robotic-assisted technology, said she hopes these kinds of hands-on experiences might inspire some students to explore careers in the medical field.

“Planning for the future means providing opportunities for young folks in our community to learn about the various technologies that we have and how they help our patients,” she said. “We can help them to see what the possibilities are as they try to figure out what they might want to major in and what they want to do after college.”

Dr. Samuel Schroelucke talks to group of St. Mary's students about robotic surgery at Saint Francis Hospital in East Memphis April 9, 2024. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)