NYC Health + Hospitals Marks 10 Years of Robotic Surgery, Completing Over 20,000 Procedures

NYC Health + Hospitals Marks 10 Years of Robotic Surgery, Completing Over 20,000 Procedures

Conducted by surgeons who control the machines, da Vinci robotic-assisted surgeries are the standard of care for several procedures, offering patients better outcomes and shorter recovery times for patients compared to traditional surgery

NYC Health + Hospitals has 19 da Vinci surgical robots across 10 sites of care, making it the largest public system in the country to offer robotic-assisted surgery

The minimally invasive procedures, often only available at private health care systems, are now accessible to all New Yorkers regardless of ability to pay

May 21, 2026

New York, NY - NYC Health + Hospitals today announced it had completed over 20,000 robotic surgeries since 2016, marking a decade of expanding access to advanced surgical technology for the communities it serves. With the da Vinci surgical robot, surgeons operate through smaller incisions using a 3D HD camera and instrument controls from a nearby console, resulting in less pain and faster recovery times for patients compared to traditional open surgery.

NYC Health + Hospitals has rapidly expanded its robotic surgery program over the last four years and now performs over 5,000 robotic surgeries annually. The health system has 19 da Vinci robotic surgical systems across its hospitals, with more than 100 surgeons trained to operate them.

The use of robotic surgery has dramatically reduced the average length of stay for certain procedures, including:

• Lung lobe resections: from 18.5 days to 8.8 days
• Nephrectomies: from 11.9 days to 2.8 days
• Malignant Hysterectomies: from 11.2 days to 2.4 days

Access to robotic surgery has historically been concentrated at private health care systems, putting it out of reach for many patients. As the nation's largest public health system, NYC Health + Hospitals has made this technology available to all New Yorkers, regardless of their health insurance status.

"Robotic surgery has helped our patients heal faster, leave the hospital sooner, and return to their lives," said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. "As the largest municipal health care system in the nation, we are proud to invest in technology and hire surgeons who can give our patients the gold standard of care."

"Building one of the nation's largest robotic surgery programs in a public hospital system has transformed not only patient care, but also our ability to attract and retain exceptional surgeons committed to academic excellence and health equity," said Andrew G. Winer, MD, FACS, Clinical Lead for Robotic Surgery at NYC Health + Hospitals. "Our investment in robotic surgery gives surgeons the tools to provide cutting-edge care while advancing innovation in a public health system."

"I have had a lot of surgeries," said Jasmin Dorsogna, a patient at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln who recently underwent robotic-assisted surgery for a vesicovaginal fistula, or an abnormal connection between the bladder and vagina. "In 2023, I had a tumor which led to me having a vaginal fistula, where I constantly leaked urine and had to wear pads. It was very embarrassing, uncomfortable, and really challenging to live a normal life. After having several surgeries that failed, I found Dr. Fishman from Lincoln Hospital, and he did the surgery robotically. After that, I was able to live freely, almost instantly. I had the surgery in January 2026, and now I'm back to normal. I'm so grateful."

A video featuring Dorsogna's story is available here.

NYC Health + Hospitals currently offers da Vinci robotic surgery in several areas, such as General Surgery, including Colorectal, Bariatric, Surgical Oncology, and Acute Care; Gynecology, including Urogynecology and Gynecologic Oncology; Thoracic; Urology; and Ear, Nose, and Throat.

Some of the most common procedures are:

• Cholecystectomy to remove the gallbladder
• Colon resection to remove the colon
• Hysterectomy to remove the uterus
• Myomectomy to remove uterine fibroids
• Nephrectomy to remove part or all of a kidney
• Prostatectomy to remove the prostate
• Pulmonary lobe resection to remove part of the lungs
• Repairing a hernia in the stomach or intestines
• Sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass to address obesity

NYC Health + Hospitals celebrated the achievement on Thursday with a Robotics Summit that included over 100 attendees across the health system who are integral to the robotics program's success: surgeons, executives, operational leaders, department heads, robotic team leads, surgical staff, and other administrative leaders. The program included remarks from Dr. Machelle Allen, the health care system's former Chief Medical Officer who spearheaded the robotic surgery initiative. Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on demonstration with the latest da Vinci surgical system.

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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.