Tampa General Hospital and the University of South Florida have announced an agreement with Medical Microinstruments, to bring the Symani Surgical System, a first-of-its-kind robotic technology, to support lymphatic surgery at TGH. This will be the first and only technology of its kind available in the Southeastern United States and is expected to improve patient outcomes for the most complex procedures involving delicate anatomy.
“At Tampa General Hospital, we’ve invested in the latest technologies and recruited best-in-class providers to make Florida the destination for innovation in health care,” said John Couris, President and CEO of Tampa General. “Now, with the support of Governor Ron DeSantis and our state leaders, we’re opening doors to new partnerships and introducing more of the world’s best technologies in health care to Florida. Because of these efforts, our patients can count on us for world-class care, better outcomes and a higher quality of life.”
USF President Rhea Law said the agreement with MMI will enhance USF Health and TGH’s position as one of the nation’s leading academic health systems.
“This unique and exciting partnership brings together the very best from both academic medicine and private industry to achieve progress in health care for Floridians who otherwise would not have access to this innovative surgical system in our state,” Law said. “We are grateful to Governor DeSantis and our state leaders for their support in helping us improve lives and build a healthier future.”
Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, Executive Vice President of USF Health and Dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, said this innovation showcases the strength of academic medicine. “We appreciate that Governor DeSantis and our state legislators understand and support the innovative nature of academic medicine,” said Dr. Lockwood, who also serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at TGH. “Our faculty physicians have the expertise to bring cutting-edge care to our patients in even the most complex cases.”
MMI’s Symani Surgical System uniquely addresses the scale and complexities of microsurgery and supermicrosurgery to restore the quality of life for more patients and enable more surgeons to perform complex procedures for delicate anatomy. The system features smaller robotic components coupled with enhanced controls so that surgeons can suture tiny vessels and nerves as small as two millimeters in diameter.