![[Photo credit: Bernd Quoss, Courtesy of the Inter-European Division]](https://cdn.adventistcontent.org/images/5df200974469ba078555eb4c/d9517893fc29327383d55f602482cdcd41568271/1200x/AOF1614933623926.png)
On Feb. 17, the first surgery with the robot "Da Vinci" took place at the Waldfriede Hospital in Berlin, Germany. This day was another milestone in the hospital's 101-year (surgical) history, according to hospital CEO Bernd Quoß.
The Da Vinci surgical system is a robot-assisted surgical system for minimally invasive operations in the urological and gynecological fields. Chief physician and medical director Dr. Roland Scherer performed the surgery together with Dr. Thorsten Unglaube. In the meantime, three operations have already been performed by the proctology department. The gynecology department will start with its first operation at the beginning of March.
The Da Vinci device used in Waldfriede is currently the most modern version available. An additionally acquired console offers the surgeon even more eyes and support during the operation by a second surgeon.
According to the hospital, Waldfriede is the 8th hospital in Berlin and one of only 10 percent of all hospitals in Germany to take on this technical and forward-looking challenge.
In the future, the hospital plans to enter the field of liver and pancreas surgery with the new Center for Oncological Upper Abdomen Surgery and Robotics. The chief physician of the new department is Dr. Marcus Bahra, who comes from Charité and specializes in operations and treatments of these diseases.
The area of palliative medicine is also being considered. For this purpose, the previous comfort ward of the hospital is currently being converted into a palliative ward in order to make the patients' stay as comfortable as possible. The head of the new palliative care unit is Dr. Karola Wagner, who has moved from the Emil-von-Behring Hospital to Waldfriede.
Thus the hospital continues to develop its oncological treatment offerings and solidifies its reputation as an innovator in the Berlin hospital landscape.
Waldfriede Hospital Health Network
Krankenhaus Waldfriede is integrated into the hospital's own health network, which has become the most diverse medical and personal care provider in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district. In addition to the Waldfriede Hospital, the Social Center, and the PrimaVita Health Center with its associated swimming pool, the network also includes the Academy for Health and Nursing Care, the Nikolassee Private Clinic, the Waldfriede Hospital Service Company, the Desert Flower Center, the Waldfriede Senior Citizens' Home, an outpatient day clinic, and, in the future, a medical care center (MVZ) for improved outpatient care. This also makes the Waldfriede Network one of the largest employers in the district. Sponsored by the worldwide church of Seventh-day Adventists, the hospital celebrates its 101st anniversary in 2021.
This article was originally published on the Inter-European Division’s news site