The Port Jefferson robotics team exploring robotic surgery at Mather Hospital.

The Port Jefferson robotics team exploring robotic surgery at Mather Hospital.

Earl L. Vandermeulen High School’s robotics team was recently invited to Mather Hospital for a hands-on experience with the future of robotic surgery. Port Jefferson students competed against other local robotics teams using the hospital’s $3 million da Vinci Surgical System.

Located in Port Jefferson, Mather Hospital is a Robotic Surgery Center of Excellence—the first of its kind in New York State and a leader in robotic bariatric surgery. Upon arriving at the hospital, students attended a presentation on the history and advancement of robotic surgery led by Dr. Arif Ahmad, director of Mather’s Surgery Center of Excellence. Students then tested their skills by operating the da Vinci’s robotic surgical arms, practiced suturing, and simulated a traditional laparoscopic procedure using a handheld camera.

“As a robotics team coach, I think it’s incredibly important for my students to see all the possible careers in science and engineering,” said robotics team coach Brian Chalmers. “The fact that robotics plays a role in medicine helps expand students’ understanding of what’s possible in this field.”