Meet Vinni: Six ways this robot is revolutionizing the future of surgery

Photo: Contributed

With the communities help, Interior Health can bring robotic-assisted surgery to Kelowna General Hospital.

Siri answers questions. Roombas clean floors. R2-D2 won galactic hearts. But the robot coming to Kelowna General Hospital isn’t designed to entertain or automate chores—it’s optimized to help people when they need it most.

What makes Vinni so revolutionary?

It may not blink or beep like a robot in the movies, but this robotic system is in a league of its own. Meet "Vinni," a state-of-the-art robotic-assisted surgical system that promises to be a game-changer for patients. Around the world, systems such as Vinni are already transforming surgical care and revolutionizing patient recoveries. So, how exactly does Vinni help?

1. Greater precision, better outcomes
For patients, robotic-assisted surgery means fewer complications, cleaner incisions and better overall outcomes. That’s thanks to Vinni’s high-definition, 3D camera system, which gives surgeons a magnified, 10x clearer view of the surgical site—enhancing accuracy when navigating around delicate nerves, vessels and tumors.

2. Safer, less invasive procedures
Smaller incisions mean faster recoveries, less pain, reduced opioid use, and a lower risk of infection. Vinni enables surgeons to operate through openings as small as 8 mm—about the size of a fingertip—making it possible for many patients to go home within days instead of weeks.

Photo: Contributed

The Vinni system will offer benefits to both surgeons working in the operating room and the patients they will operate on.

3. Reduced chance of complications
When operating near vital organs or removing cancerous tissue, every millimeter matters. Vinni’s advanced system filters out natural hand tremors, giving surgeons unmatched steadiness and control—especially critical during delicate or high-risk procedures.

4. Access to hard-to-reach areas
More precise surgery means less trauma to surrounding tissues, which leads to smoother recoveries. Vinni’s wristed instruments can rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing for a range of motion beyond the human hand—perfect for navigating tight or complex anatomical spaces.

5. Surgeons performing at their peak
With Vinni in the operating room, patients receive the full expertise of their surgeon—elevated by the precision of advanced technology. The system is fully controlled in real time by the surgeon from a nearby console, translating each movement into exacting surgical action. Vinni doesn’t replace expertise, it amplifies it.

6. Recruitment of top surgical talent
Bringing Vinni to KGH will help attract and retain the best and brightest surgeons, professionals who want to work where innovation is embraced. For the community, that means access to highly skilled care without having to travel to larger cities. It’s a powerful step toward establishing KGH as a leader in surgical excellence.

Vinni’s cutting-edge capabilities

• Fully controlled by the surgeon—never autonomous

• 3D, high-definition imaging magnified up to 10x for unmatched clarity

• Wristed instruments that rotate 360° for superior precision

• Eliminates natural hand tremors for smoother, safer movements

• Performs complex surgery through fingertip-sized incisions

Why Vinni needs us

It’s no surprise that, given the challenges our health system is facing in Canada, community support is needed to acquire world-class highly advanced technology such as Vinni. That’s why the community is needed to help bring Vinni home.

The introduction of RAS is a $12 million investment and the KGH Foundation has committed to raising $6 million in order to make the acquisition possible.

It’s time to bring Vinni home.

KGH Day of Giving – May 14

There is not better time than today, on the KGH Foundation’s Day of Giving, to make a donation because every gift made before midnight will be matched, dollar for dollar, doubling its impact.

Funds raised will go directly toward the acquisition of Vinni and the resources required to launch robotic-assisted surgery at KGH. Your gift will help bring the future of surgical care to thousands of people in the B.C. Interior region—for your neighbours, coworkers, family, and friends.

So when someone asks, “Who’s Vinni?” you’ll be able to say: “Vinni’s the robot that changed surgery at KGH. And our community brought it here.”

Join us. Support KGH Foundation's Day of Giving and help bring Vinni home.

To give, visit kghfoundation.com/robotic-assisted-surgery.

Photo: Contributed

Using Vinni, surgeons can perform robotic-assisted surgery with precision.

This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.