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Ascension Providence celebrates 10 years of robotic-assisted surgery

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Posted at 8:52 PM, Jan 19, 2023
and last updated 2023-01-19 21:52:12-05

WACO, Texas — Ascension Providence is celebrating 10 years of its robotic-assisted surgery program.

Since the program began in 2013, the program has grown and has given patients access to robotic surgeries almost 4,500 times.

The robotics are used to treat several cancers, including lung cancer. Doctors are able to perform biopsies and treat early-stage lung cancer with the technology.

For one patient, Ronny Perryman, he was able to have his cancer diagnosed and removed in just one day.

"They changed doctors, the surgeons, and then they did the robotic surgery on me to remove the bottom lobe of my lung on the right side," Perryman said.

Dr. Richard Helmer and Dr. Boris Murillo work together to diagnose and treat patients with the technology.

Robotic-assisted surgery, they said, is faster, less invasive and more accurate.

"With robotics, now we can get to the spot 98, 99 percent of the times," Murillo said.

Since his surgery, Perryman has not had to undergo chemotherapy and radiation. He's optimistic that after five years, he will be officially declared "cancer free".