Since 2015, South Texas Health System (STHS) has led efforts to innovate the Rio Grande Valley’s healthcare sector by implementing robotic surgery technology. It started ten years ago when STHS Edinburg became the first hospital in the lower South Texas region to utilize the da Vinci XI surgical system. This robotic machine with four operating arms, cameras, and a user interface allows surgeons to conduct precise, minimally invasive procedures, extending doctors’ capabilities beyond their own hands.
In 2021, STHS implemented a second da Vinci XI system and has thus far operated on 4,000 cases. A common trend of these surgeries is the benefit of less trauma and faster recovery times due to the smaller, more precise incisions than procedures conducted with robotic systems have.
In June 2023, STHS Heart launched its robotic surgery program with a da Vinci XI system. To date, the facility has performed nearly 500 robotic surgeries.
However, South Texas Health System isn’t stopping there when it comes to offering minimally invasive surgery options for patients.
In March 2025, STHS McAllen launched its own robotic surgery program with the addition of the da Vinci 5 (DV5), the latest model of the robotic surgical system.
“It is a huge win having these systems because of the smaller incisions made with robotic surgery compared to traditional surgery, which leads to less post-operative pain. Because of that, patients spend less time in the hospital,” said Miguel Rodriguez, DO, a general surgeon with STHS Clinics and the medical director of STHS McAllen’s robotic surgery program. “The trauma that is associated with small incisions is much smaller, and there’s much more precision and consistency when using the robotic system.”
As the fifth generation of the da Vinci surgical robot, the DV5 features multiple improvements over the XI generation, including more computing power, tactile feedback for the operator, video recording capabilities, and analytical data tracking.
“The new robot has force feedback instruments; so, you’re able to feel the tension that you put on the tissue when you operate. With the DaVinci XI, the previous version, you don’t have that tactile feedback. The DV5 allows for super-smooth, low-resistance and highly precise motion.”
The da Vinci robots can operate on almost any patient and perform most types of surgeries, but at STHS, some common operations include:
“Appendectomies, gallbladders, hiatal hernias, inguinal hernias, ventral hernias, colon resections, mulled-out resections, stomach resection for gastric cancer, liver resections, and bariatric surgery,” said Dr. Rodriguez.
Before operating with a robotic system, a surgeon must complete specific training that gradually prepares them to manage the robot. The training starts with information modules and simple tasks that help the surgeon become acclimated to the controls before graduating to more complex tasks and eventually operating on patients.
Another advantage of robotic systems is the consistency they offer to patients and surgeons. This means that between surgeries, the only factor affecting consistency is the operating surgeon himself. This contrasts with traditional surgeries that often require an assistant, which, due to factors like experience level, can cause variability from operation to operation and hospital to hospital.
“Robotics gives you the advantage of doing the same case in the same way, regardless of which hospital you’re at because the surgeon has full control of the system. Meaning, I am fully equipped to handle the surgery,” said Dr. Rodriguez.
He also states that the new robotic system in McAllen will help address regional health issues, specifically in treating medical conditions in patients with obesity.
“With the robotic system, it’s much easier to operate on someone whose BMI is higher. We know that there’s a health concern here in the Valley, which is obesity, and we have a system that allows better visualization and, because of that, provide a better operation,” said Dr. Rodriguez.
For Dr. Rodriguez, the increased frequency of robotic surgery presents a future in the Rio Grande Valley, where robotic surgery becomes even more commonplace and where there are academic training grounds for robotic surgery, as there are in other regions that serve an educational purpose.
“I see McAllen having dual consoles, meaning two robots facing each other in a room being used for teaching. I’m sitting on one end, my training sitting on the other one, and I’m teaching them how to operate these robots. I think it should be here within the next five years or 10 years,” said Dr. Rodriguez.
