It's humbling to witness the incredible progress we have made in the field of surgery. I remember caring for a patient post-operatively for the routine removal of a diseased gallbladder when I was a nursing student in the early 1970's. The patient had a 12- inch diagonal incision across the abdomen, and spent almost three weeks recuperating in the hospital. In 2015, this same patient could have his gallbladder removed in Same-Day Surgery, and return home that very evening.

Surgeons using the da Vinci ® surgical robot can be several feet away from the patient, performing this surgery remotely, leaving only two or three small one-inch incisions. This minimally invasive option features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system which enables the doctor to operate with enhanced vision and precision. A surgeon recently told me: "It's like being inside the body." This was inconceivable in 1972.

Another amazing advance has been with joint replacement surgery. The latest technology is the MAKOplasty ® robotic surgical system. It is a surgeon-controlled robotic arm system that enables accurate alignment and placement of implants. Dr. William Cambridge has been in practice long enough to witness the remarkable progress that has been made since he started his orthopedic surgical practice. Dr. Cambridge has performed more than 3,000 joint replacements in his career at Backus Hospital. I asked him to tell me a little bit about the benefits of this new technology. He was very pleased to report about an 83 year old patient who was up and walking the very next day after undergoing the partial knee resurfacing with the MAKOplasty technology system. Because of the less-invasive nature of the procedure, the man had the benefit of a small incision, less blood loss, a short hospitalization, and a faster recovery.

As far as surgical advances go, I don't think anybody would like to return to the technology of "the good old days." We are experiencing some wonderful outcomes right now from these new developments. The older we are, the more these current advances seem like a scenario straight from "Star Trek." It's exciting to ponder the surgical advances that will emerge in the future – developments we can't even fathom.