Member News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 1, 2009

Sherman Hospital to "Tweet" During Robotic Surgery

On Thursday, April 2, at 7:30 a.m., Sherman Hospital will be the first hospital in Illinois to provide live updates of a robotic surgery on the internet. Through the social-networking site Twitter, Sherman officials will provide a running commentary, updates of activities and photos of the procedure. Twitter users will continuously receive messages of 140 characters or less, called "Tweets", by following Sherman at http://twitter.com/shermanhealth.

"Sherman Hospital is committed to becoming one of the best community hospitals in the nation," says Christine Priester, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Sherman Health. "This is an example of our forward thinking and dedication to educating and connecting with the community."

The procedure, a hysterectomy, will be perfomed using the da Vinci surgical system, a sophisticated robotic platform designed to expand surgeon's capabilities and offer a minimally invasive option for major surgery. For the first time ever, future hysterectomy candidates will be able get an idea of what is involved with the procedure in a way they would never have been able to before.

Raja Chatterji, M.D., and Humberto Lamoutte, M.D., both OB/GYNs and surgeons on the medical staff at Sherman Hospital, will be performing the operation, slated to last two hours. Both Drs. Chatterji and Lamoutte received extensive training with the da Vinci surgical system before receiving certification in 2007. Dr. Chatterji received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College Of Medicine, and Dr. Lamoutte received his medical degree from the Louisiana State University. Both physicians had residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

About da Vinci Hysterectomy
Traditional open gynecologic surgery, using a large incision for access to the uterus and surrounding anatomy, has for many years been the standard approach to many gynecologic procedures. Yet with open surgery can come significant pain, trauma, a long recovery process and threat to surrounding organs and nerves.

At Sherman, surgeons began using the da Vinci System for urologic and gynecologic procedures in November 2007. The da Vinci Hysterectomy is one of the most effective, least invasive treatment options for a range of uterine conditions. For most patients, da Vinci Hysterectomy can offer numerous potential benefits over traditional approaches to vaginal, laparoscopic or open abdominal hysterectomy. Potential benefits include:

  • Significantly less pain
  • Less blood loss
  • Fewer complications
  • Less scarring
  • A shorter hospital stay
  • A faster return to normal daily activities

To follow Sherman on Twitter the day of the procedure, please visit http://twitter.com/shermanhealth on or before 8am to start receiving Tweets from the beginning of the procedure. For more information, please contact Michelle Howe, Marketing Specialist, Sherman Health, 847-429-8427, michelle.howe@shermanhospital.org.

About Sherman Health
Sherman Health is a not-for-profit, community-governed healthcare system dedicated to providing residents of Chicago’s northwest suburbs with outstanding healthcare and service- every life, every moment, every day. Located in Elgin, Ill., Sherman Hospital was the first community hospital in Illinois to perform open-heart surgery and continues to lead the way in cardiac care for the region. Other hospital services include emergency care, a diabetes center, cancer care, orthopedic care and a birthing center with a neonatal intensive care nursery. Sherman also provides convenient, quality healthcare services at Sherman Family HealthCare immediate care centers in Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Elgin, and South Elgin. For more information on Sherman Health locations and services, please visit www.ShermanHealth.com or call 800-397-9000.

The Future of Sherman
Construction is currently underway for a new Sherman Hospital at Randall and Big Timber roads in Elgin. Sherman broke ground on the 255-bed facility, with all private rooms, in June 2006 and expects to open the hospital on December 15, 2009. To learn more about the new hospital, plans for the current hospital and to watch our progress, please visit www.TheFutureofSherman.com.