By Shea Wright 

The pain began to intensify. 

At first, Caitlin Crowder thought it was just a bad stomachache or indigestion. Nothing Tums or Tylenol couldn’t fix. 

But as the waves of sharp cramping in her upper right abdomen continued to build up, her instincts kicked in. Caitlin made the decision to head to VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) – the very place she’s committed to serving patients each day – and found herself being evaluated for something far more serious than indigestion. 

An ultrasound revealed the culprit: acute cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, otherwise known as gallstones, that would require immediate surgery.  

“I never imagined that after being admitted into the emergency department, that I would have my gallbladder removed,” recalled Caitlin, who is a registered nurse in CMH’s float pool.  

In rural communities like South Hill, access to timely advanced surgical care often means long drives and overnight stays. But thanks to VCU Health’s investment in cutting-edge technology patients in Southside Virginia can now receive the kind of innovation typically found in urban hospitals.  

Caitlin's surgery was performed robotically with the da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System. The minimally invasive approach allows a surgeon to see a 3-dimentional image of the body and use robotic arms that are extremely controlled and precise. 

“What the robot does is just like a hand. You can move the arms of the robot. And what is interesting about the robot is that the computer allows the physician to operate with greater precision. It's a major advancement in modern surgery,” said Vigneshwar Kasirajan, M.D., FACS, chair of the Department of Surgery at VCU Health. 

(Robin McLeod, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Although Caitlin has worked at CMH for 18 years, she hadn’t seen the robot in person yet. It arrived at the hospital in April of this year. 

“I remember the machine being much larger than I thought it would be," she said.  “But I knew that I was in the best hands, and the staff would take amazing care of me. Their skill, compassion and commitment to providing the very best care made all the difference.”  

Robotic surgery offerings help patients 'return to doing what they love’ faster 

Investments in advanced technologies like robotic surgery ensure patients at CMH receive world-class care without compromising convenience or quality.  

"Robotic surgery allows us to provide high-quality, minimally invasive care right here at home," said Sheldon Barr, president of CMH. "Patients don’t have to travel hours for specialized procedures. They can stay close to family and support systems, recover faster and return to doing what they love. That’s what community-based care is all about.”  

In addition to gallbladder removal, CMH’s robotic surgery team is also looking to expand their services to include hernia repairs and other general surgeries in the coming months. VCU Health is also expanding robotic surgical offerings across the entire health system, including a range of inpatient and outpatient services at VCU Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, as well as the Short Pump Ambulatory Surgical Center in Henrico County. 

The arms of the da Vinci Surgical System offer surgeons increased precision during surgery. (da Vinci Xi - Intuitive)

By expanding these minimally invasive surgery offerings, patients will be able to leave the hospital faster and recover quicker, reducing the pain and stress that usually accompanies larger procedures.  

Having this technology available at a rural hospital also helps to recruit and retain skilled physicians. CMH is part of a university-based health system, which is investing more in robotics training and research.  

“We have specifically hired surgeons to be able to be experts in robotic surgery to work in rural communities. In the next year or so, we're going to see a massive expansion of robotic capabilities that benefit our patients,” Kasirajan said. 

VCU Health’s continued investment in rural health care also allows community members, like Caitlin, to get back to doing what they love.  

When she is not working at CMH, Caitlin enjoys swimming. She was afraid surgery would slow her down. But four tiny incisions later, Caitlin’s gallbladder was taken out and she was back home within a few hours. She only took one day off from work and felt good enough the next day to even get a pedicure.  

The 35-year-old is grateful for her colleagues and that CMH has this technology in her own backyard.  

“The technology enhanced not only my recovery time, but my recovery dynamics. I had minimal pain, nausea and was able to spend my recovery in my own space, surrounded by my family,” Caitlin said.  

Get an inside look at VCU Health’s latest innovations in robotic-assisted surgery.

Check out more stories about VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital.