Montana Man Shares Bouquet of Gratitude After Robotic-Assisted Surgery at Intermountain Health Holy Rosary Hospital Helps Restore His Health
At 91 years old, Emmett LaBree isn’t one to take good care for granted.
When he returned to Intermountain Health Holy Rosary Hospital in Miles City, Montana, just weeks after undergoing robotic-assisted hernia repair, it wasn’t for a follow-up appointment. It was to say thank you.
LaBree, also of Miles City, arrived with flowers in hand for the care team that helped him recover from surgery to repair two hernias, a procedure performed robotically by Creighton Fiscina, MD, a surgeon at Intermountain Holy Rosary Hospital.
“They did such a good job,” LaBree said. “It was just a token of appreciation. They made me feel so comfortable.”
LaBree underwent robotic-assisted surgery last month, and shared that the experience exceeded his expectations.
“I wasn’t in there very long,” he said. “It’s as good as I could ask for.”
During robotic-assisted procedures, a specially trained surgeon controls the movement of camera-equipped robotic surgical equipment by using a console placed next to the operating table instead of physically performing the surgery with their hands.
From the surgeon’s point of view, robotic technology allows for enhanced precision, flexibility, and control, a better field of visualization, and greater ease when performing delicate and complex procedures than what is often possible with traditional open surgeries.
The technology is designed to reduce pain, lower the risk of infection, and support faster recovery.
For LaBree, those benefits were clear.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “You need something like this in a little town.”
Dr. Fiscina said LaBree’s experience reflects the benefits that patients are seeing more often as robotic-assisted procedures become available in rural communities, such as Miles City.
“Most hernia procedures are now performed robotically,” Fiscina said. “This allows us to make the repair through small incisions and even repair multiple hernias during one procedure, like in Emmett’s case.” Holy Rosary Hospital began offering robotic-assisted surgery in early 2024, expanding access to advanced surgical care for patients across Eastern Montana. Prior to that, many patients would have needed to travel long distances to larger medical centers for similar procedures.
“The technology has been commonplace in large medical centers,” Fiscina said. “By now having robotic technology available for more complex cases in Eastern Montana, we have seen hospital stays reduced from seven days to two days for complex abdominal surgeries and very quick overall recoveries compared to open or laparoscopic approaches.”
The hospital’s robotic surgery program is also supported by specialized training and real-time consultation capabilities, allowing surgeons to collaborate and receive virtual support during procedures.
The goal, Fiscina says, is to ensure patients receive the same high-quality care they would expect in a larger city, without leaving home.
For LaBree, the experience was about more than technology. It was about the people behind it.
“Holy Rosary Hospital is always keeping an eye on their older patients,” he said. “At 91, I really appreciated the way they handled things.”
For Dr. Fiscina, LaBree’s gratitude underscores why access to advanced surgical technology matters.
“As robotic-assisted technology and techniques continue to advance, it represents a new era of patient-centered care with a focus on safer, more precise, and less invasive care,” he said.