Meet “Leo,” Elizabeth City’s New Surgical Robot

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) — The surgical team at Sentara Albemarle Medical Center welcomes a daVinci robotic surgery system to perform gynecologic and general surgery cases. After a name contest held by surrounding public schools, “Leo” was the winning name.

The name was proposed by Northeastern High School senior Joel Overman.

“This machine can be intimidating for patients,” Overman said. “So a name with the simplicity of Leo gives a calming factor and gives respect to Leonardo da Vinci, hence the surgical system brand.”

The device uses tools that can be more precise than a surgeon and is operated manually.

The surgeon uses a console near the operating table and looks through a viewer that magnifies the surgical site 10 times what the human eye can see, a statement said. The robotic arms move according to the surgeon’s instructions.

Three surgeons are currently training on the daVinci system. Precision tools can make movements finer than a surgeon’s fingers, and the technology eliminates the natural tremors of the human hand.