By Amanda Mlekush
UNC Health Appalachian’s Watauga Medical Center in Boone, home to the first da Vinci 5 surgical robot in the state of North Carolina, partnered with the Beaver College of Health Sciences to host a “Meet the Robot and Surgeons” community event at Levine Hall in mid-May.
More than 100 attendees were able to use a simulator connected to a da Vinci 5 robot set up in the Lewis Atrium. The experience allowed them to demonstrate how the technology works, talk with local surgeons about how they are using the technology in surgical procedures, and learn more about robotic surgery.
According to surgeon Paul Dagher, M.D, FACS, from Watauga Surgical Group (Dagher is pictured above pointing to the robot), he and other surgeons have now collectively performed 213 surgeries (as of May 13, 2025) using a da Vinci robot at Watauga Medical Center.
“Patients who have robotic surgery typically experience less pain after surgery, have a quicker recovery, and spend less time in the hospital,” he said. “I tell patients that the robot is not doing your surgery; the surgeon is still performing your surgery while using a console to tell the robotic arms what to do.”
All five surgeons from Watauga Surgical Group have attended advanced training on the da Vinci 5 technology. Dagher shared that the robotic technology adds the ability to see in 3-D, provides sensory feedback similar to that of a hand, and has a longer reach which can lead to smaller incisions and make suturing easier.
“The ‘Meet the Robot and Surgeons’ event was a great way for individuals in our community to learn more about how robotic surgery differs from traditional surgery, and how UNC Health Appalachian is advancing technology to serve our community,” said Dean Marie Huff, Beaver College of Health Sciences. (Huff is pictured above on left with BCHS Associate Dean Adam Hege, PhD, and the da Vinci 5 robot).
