Ascension St. Vincent Fishers has become the first hospital in the Ascension St. Vincent system in Indiana to perform surgeries with a single-port robot, marking a new step in advanced surgical care for Hamilton County.

The hospital announced that Dr. Colin Linke, a urologist affiliated with Ascension St. Vincent, successfully completed the first single-port robotic procedure last week. The hospital is now one of only three facilities statewide to use the technology.

Single-port robotic surgeries use a single two-inch incision to insert all necessary instruments. The tools then diverge internally to allow surgeons to work in smaller spaces with greater precision. The approach is designed to improve surgical accuracy, minimize scarring and shorten recovery times.

“In the single-port technique, a single two-inch incision is made to insert all robotic tools,” Dr. Linke said. “We can direct these tools to diverge internally as they perform the surgery. In essence, we are able to get into a smaller space and operate more precisely in the area each patient needs.”

The initial focus for the robot has been on urology prostatectomies, but hospital officials said its use will expand to other specialties, including breast, colorectal and gynecology procedures.

Aleks Overbey, president of Ascension St. Vincent Fishers, said the technology reflects the hospital’s commitment to advancing minimally invasive surgical options.

“At Ascension St. Vincent Fishers, we are more than just a small, suburban hospital,” Overbey said. “We are committed to advancing minimally invasive surgical options and improving patient outcomes to benefit the growing population we serve in this community and across Hamilton County.”