Country Club Living - Palm Beach North - August 2026

4 C O U N T R Y C L U B L I V I N G - PA L M B E A C H N O R T H | A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 expert contributor Robotic Surgery BroadensWhat’s Possible JUPITER MEDICAL CENTER SURGEONS PERFORMMORE PROCEDURES THROUGH SMALLER INCISIONS, HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK TO DAILY LIFE SOONER - By Sue MacDonald - Photo provided by Jupiter Medical Center - A pancreatic cancer operation once required a large abdominal incision. Many heart procedures required opening the chest. Joint replacement often meant days in the hospital and weeks of recovery. Today, surgeons can perform many of these same procedures through small incisions with the help of robotic surgery. Jupiter Medical Center is home to the region’s largest robotic surgery program. Featuring six robotic systems within the Johnny & Terry Gray Surgical Institute, the program brings together expert surgeons across a broad range of specialties to perform minimally invasive procedures. From treating complex cancers and heart disease to performing joint replacements and many other advanced procedures, Jupiter Medical Center’s surgeons are expanding access to innovative, precision-guided care that helps improve outcomes and enhance recovery. WHAT RECOVERY LOOKS LIKE TODAY For many people, the difference becomes clear after surgery. Smaller incisions often mean less pain, less blood loss, less scarring, and shorter hospital stays. Dr. Donna Pinelli, medical director of gynecologic oncology and the Frank E. and Mary D. Walsh Robotic Surgery Program at Jupiter Medical Center, says robotic technology has expanded the number of cancer procedures surgeons can perform through minimally invasive approaches. “For different kinds of cancer, we now have access to technologies that for some patients replace the need to do long, open-cavity surgeries,” she says. Many of those operations once required a large abdominal incision. Today, surgeons can often perform them through several small incisions. “The key benefits for patients? They can get out of the hospital a lot quicker to recover at home,” Pinelli says. As the program has grown, surgeons have expanded the number and complexity of procedures they perform through minimally invasive approaches. Surgeons use the technology for procedures ranging from gallbladder removal and hysterectomy to some of the most complex operations performed today. Robotic surgery does not replace the surgeon. The surgeon controls every movement throughout the procedure. The system gives surgeons a magnified, three-dimensional view and allows them to work with instruments that move in ways the human hand cannot. That combination helps surgeons operate in tight spaces without sacrificing precision. A MORE PERSONALIZED APPROACH Robotic technology plays a different role in joint replacement surgery. Dr. Andrew Noble, a hip and knee replacement surgeon affiliated with Jupiter Medical Center, has used robotic technology for more than 13 years. “It’s not just about cutting the ends of the bone and installing these new knees,” he says. “Your ligaments, muscles and tendons play an important role in how your knee moves, bends and stabilizes the leg. This is where the robot fits in. It’s creating a personalized plan for each patient's anatomy.” That level of planning helps surgeons position and align replacement joints with greater precision to match the way each person's body moves and functions. ACROSS MULTIPLE SPECIALTIES Cardiac surgeons use robotic techniques for procedures that once required opening the chest. Dr. Vivek Patel, a board-certified cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, performs robotic-assisted heart surgeries, including the minimally invasive coronary bypass procedure. This procedure “offers a safer, more efficient alternative to traditional methods, and we're thrilled to bring this robotic technology to our community,” Patel says. In addition to cardiology, specialists use robotic techniques. Gastrointestinal surgeons use robotic systems to treat conditions involving the stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas. Gynecologic surgeons utilize the technology for procedures such as hysterectomies. Urologists use it for conditions affecting the kidneys, bladder and prostate. While robotic surgery is not an option for every procedure, it is expanding what’s possible. For many people, robotic-assisted techniques can reduce pain, shorten recovery and make it easier to return to everyday life.