Catholic Health’s St. Charles Hospital Celebrates 5, 500 Robotic Surgeries

Catholic Health’s St. Charles Hospital announced today a significant milestone of performing 5,500 robotic surgeries since the program launched in 2019. With only seven years of operation, the hospital’s robotic surgery program has become a beacon of excellence on Long Island. 

In 2024, St. Charles Hospital was named a Center of Excellence in Robotic and Hernia Surgery by the Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) in recognition of the hospital’s commitment to the delivery of high quality, safe patient care. By earning these two prestigious Center of Excellence accreditations, St. Charles Hospital has demonstrated continuous adherence to nationally and internationally recognized standards.

“This outstanding milestone of completing 5,500 robotic surgeries, as well as having received prestigious recognition from the SRC, is a true testament to St. Charles’ highly-skilled surgeons trained in minimally-invasive robotic surgery, allowing for much smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays, minimal blood loss and less need for pain medication,” said James O’Connor, president of St. Charles Hospital. “Using the da Vinci® and Xi™ systems, we offer robotic-assisted surgeries in various surgical specialties, including bariatric, colorectal, general, gynecological, thoracic and urologic surgery. Residents of Port Jefferson and surrounding areas can have confidence they will receive top-notch care designed to help them regain their quality of life at St. Charles.”

Mark Waka, 40, a Sound Beach resident and assistant principal at the John J. Pershing School in Brooklyn, was suffering from debilitating hernias. He pushed through the pain during long commutes to work and was eventually referred to Joseph Pinkhas, DO, a renowned robotic surgeon at St. Charles Hospital, who performed the hernia surgery last November. 

“I was in a lot of pain and didn’t know what was going on with me,” said Mr. Waka. “For nine months, I just powered through. I thought it was my appendix, diet or routine of commuting six hours a day. It was really debilitating and ruining my quality of life. However, the great doctors at St. Charles found out I actually had three hernias. Two weeks later, I was in surgery with Dr. Pinkhas. Now, almost three months after, I am back to my normal self and routine.”

For more information about St. Charles Hospital’s robotic surgery and hernia repair program, call (631) 474-6797.