It’s a surgical robot that in part shares its name with one of the most famous artists in history.

But rather than painting or sculpting, the da Vinci Xi assists surgeons in performing operations.

Surgeon Ahmad Elnahas – a specialist in minimally invasive surgery and who has pioneered the surgical robot at St. Joseph’s Hospital – is using the da Vinci Xi to improve the operation experience and recovery for patients with hernias. It is a condition that occurs when part of the bowel pushes through a weakness in the muscle or muscle lining.

Elnahas said he has used the da Vinci Xi to perform about 20 hernia repair surgeries at St. Joseph’s. The procedure involves putting displaced tissue back into place and reinforcing the surrounding area.

“The art, I think, is all about assisting y

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