Inova Loudoun Hospital Partners with Loudoun County Public Schools’ EDGE Academy to Name New Surgical Robot

Leesburg, VA — Inova Loudoun Hospital (ILH) partnered with Loudoun County Public Schools’ EDGE Academy to name its latest robotic technology, the da Vinci® Xi Surgical System.  This state-of-the-art equipment provides an alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional minimally invasive surgery, putting a surgeon’s hands at the controls of the robotic platform.  The latest da Vinci robot features superior capabilities for various cardiac, colorectal, gynecologic, thoracic and urologic procedures.

As an enrichment opportunity in STEM, EDGE Academy students, 4^th and 5^th graders from Meadowland, Sugarland, and Forest Grove elementary schools, researched and learned about surgical technology.  Surgeons Dr. Kate Khalifeh and Dr. Nathan Roberts visited students in the classroom to discuss how the robot works, show a video of the da Vinci Xi® in action, the education it takes to become a doctor, and answered their questions.

Student teams worked together to create “birth announcements” with corresponding QR codes to provide insight into the names they suggested.  Hospital patients, visitors and employees voted on the names.

At a reception, more than 90 school officials, students, parents, teachers, and hospital employees gathered to learn the robot’s new name, watched a demonstration of the technology, and had an opportunity to “test drive” being a robotic surgeon.

“Thank you to every student, teacher and school official that helped with this project. The name suggestions and the corresponding research were impressive. We are happy to announce the winning name is Dr. Surge Bot,” stated Stacey Metcalfe, Director, Western Region Government and Community Relations, Inova Loudoun Hospital.

Dr. Surge Bot is one of three surgical robots at ILH. The advantages of robotic surgery for the patient are significant and may include:

• Shorter hospital stay
• Less blood loss
• Fewer complications
• Less need for narcotic pain medicine
• Faster recovery
• Smaller incisions resulting in minimal scarring

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Inova Loudoun Hospital, serving Loudoun County for over 100 years, is part of Inova, a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research.

About Inova
Inova is a global leader in personalized health, which leverages precision medicine to predict, prevent and treat disease, enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. At Inova, we serve more than 2 million people each year from throughout the Washington, DC, metro area and beyond.

We are shaping the future of health through our integrated network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, outpatient services and destination institutes.  Our commitment to health and wellness is further reflected in our sustainable practices. Inova is home to world-class researchers, expert medical specialists and renowned scientists, who are driving innovation to improve patient care, prevent disease and promote wellness. For more information, visit inova.org, or find Inova on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.