BECKLEY, W.VA. – Beckley ARH Hospital recently added the da Vinci Surgical System to its list of patient offerings.

The system allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures utilizing the assistance of a 3-D camera and several robotic arms equipped with small surgical instruments.

Beckley ARH CEO Todd Howell said the system will help improve patient care in a variety of ways.

“This robotic surgery program will allow our skilled surgeons to perform minimally invasive procedures with even greater precision, leading to faster recovery times, less pain for our patients, and ultimately, a healthier community,” he said.

“Beckley ARH is committed to providing the best possible care, and this program is a giant leap forward in achieving that goal.”

Melanie Overton, Beckley ARH Operating Room Director, said the technology will be used to perform procedures including hernia repairs, gallbladder surgeries and appendectomies.

She said the addition will help the hospital in its mission to provide quality healthcare to the residents of southern West Virginia.

“Healthcare is always evolving, especially surgery,” she said. “It’s important to keep up with those advancements. This is very special and important for this hospital and for our entire community.”

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Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), is a not-for-profit health system operating 14 hospitals in Barbourville, Hazard, Harlan, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, as well as multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores and retail pharmacies and medical spas. ARH employs approximately 6,700 people with an annual payroll and benefits of $474 million generated into our local economies. ARH also has a network of more than 1,300 providers on staff across its multi-state system. ARH is the largest provider of care and the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky, and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virgini