Surgery

Infirmary Health offers comprehensive surgical care at six locations across Mobile and Baldwin Counties. With the largest and most experienced team in the region, our teams are ready to serve you and ensure you get back to health.

What is surgery?

Surgery treats diseases and disorders by physically opening the body to correct the disorder. There are two main types of surgeries: elective and required or emergency surgery. Elective surgeries can be discussed at length with you doctor and often, while helpful to your health, are usually not required for you to live a satisfying life. Required or emergent surgery are procedures that need to be accomplished immediately to preserve life or bodily function.

The surgical process

Deciding to have surgery is an important medical decision that should be thoroughly discussed between you and your doctor. If you choose to have surgery, you will either be referred to a specialist or, if your doctor is a specialist, a surgery date will be scheduled at one of our hospitals or ambulatory surgery centers. Before surgery, you will be required to fill out certain consent forms and pre-surgical information forms.

If you are looking for pre-admitting forms, click here.

Once the paperwork is filled out, you will be admitted and prepared for surgery. Depending on the type of surgery, you may be given an anesthetic to numb the area or to cause temporary unconsciousness. After the surgery is complete, you will go through a post-operative recovery period in which you will be closely monitored as the anesthesia wears off to ensure no complications. Depending on the type of surgery, your doctor will usually schedule several post-surgical assessments to see the progress of your healing.

Robotic surgical services

Mobile Infirmary was the first hospital in the region to offer robotic surgery through the da Vinci robotic surgery system. Today, Infirmary Health offers more robotic surgical services than any system in the region with six da Vinci robots at Mobile Infirmary, three at Thomas Hospital, and one at North Baldwin Infirmary.

Why choose robotic surgery?

Robotic surgery is an advanced type of minimally invasive surgery. During the surgery, the surgeon operates from a console adjacent to the patient using finger controls and foot pedals to perform precise movements corresponding to their own hand, wrist, and finger motions.

The robotic instruments are significantly smaller than human hands, allowing them to maneuver within confined spaces. It's important to note that robotic technology functions under the direct control of the surgeon and does not operate independently.

Each of the da Vinci robotic surgery systems at Infirmary Health are equipped with high-definition, 3D imaging offering 10X magnification. This enhances surgeons' ability to see intricate details beyond the capability of the naked eye. Additionally, the dual consoles enable collaborative surgery when required.

Robotic surgery delivers numerous advantages, including reduced blood loss and postoperative pain, increased preservation of organs, enhanced lymph node dissection for cancer cases, smaller incisions leading to less invasive procedures, minimal scarring, a decreased risk of nerve injury, and shorter hospital stays for patients.

Infirmary Health's robotic surgery program provides care from highly specialized teams, including:

Anesthesiologists
Nurses
Physician assistants
Physicians
Surgeons
Surgical technicians

Our team receives additional education and training in robotic surgery systems, focusing on patient safety. To ensure you get the most advanced care, we evaluate and modify your treatment plan based on the best practices for your health condition.

Mobile Infirmary

Mobile Infirmary has performed more than 17,000 robotic surgery cases since starting its program in 2006, which was one of the first in the nation. The hospital now operates six da Vinci robotic surgery systems and offers robotic surgery in the following specialties:

General surgery
Gynecology, including hysterectomy
Colon and rectal surgery
Bariatric surgery
Urology, including prostatectomy and kidney surgery
ION Robotic Assisted Endoluminal Bronchoscopy
Cancer surgery

Thomas Hospital

Thomas Hospital offers advanced robotic surgery techniques through the da Vinci robotic surgery system. The hospital has three robots and offers robotic surgery in the following specialties: