Dr. Rob Headrick with Baylor students
Thoracic surgeon Dr. Rob Headrick '82 gave Baylor School students the opportunity to sit at the controls of the da Vinci Surgical System and perform a simulated robot-assisted surgery in the Weeks science building on Thursday.
It’s the same system Dr. Headrick uses at CHI Memorial as a board certified cardiothoracic surgeon at Buz Standefer Lung Center.
Dr. Headrick and members of the thoracic team at CHI Memorial interacted with the students, going through an actual case with them, and working with them as they sat at the surgeon’s controls for a simulated procedure. The students experienced the da Vinci system’s magnified 3D high-definition vision system and tiny wrist-like instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human hand.
“These students are future scientists and engineers,” said Dr. Headrick. “We hope to encourage them to look into the future and develop new technology that will be used in new, creative ways to change the future of healthcare.”
"Access to the da Vinci robot, the simulator, and the surgeons who use the technology will give our students a glimpse into one of the most innovative biomedical advancements available today,"s aid Dr. Dawn Richards, Baylor School Science Department chair. "Students will see firsthand how such fields of science as biology and robotics can integrate. Interaction with Dr. Headrick and the da Vinci system may even inspire students to consider pursuing medical and engineering fields."
The team at CHI Memorial was awarded a 3-star rating by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the highest quality patient outcome rating only awarded to a small percentage of cardiothoracic programs in the United States.