High schoolers throughout the Lehigh Valley were given the opportunity Feb. 12 to learn about the latest advances in microscopic surgeries at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, thanks to an invitation from Lehigh Valley Health Network and its deputy chief of surgery, Dr. Angelo A. Baccala.

The students - all of whom share a passion for medicine and technology and have prospects within these career worlds - spent the first part of their morning exploring the Da Vinci Xi, the latest surgical system in microscopic surgery, provided by Intuitive. The Da Vinci Xi is a surgical system that uses robot-assisted technology to perform surgical procedures through a few tiny incisions. The robot is operated by a surgeon through a console that controls the robotic arms.

The Da Vinci Xi costs roughly $2 million. Baccala assured the group that “it makes sense for a forward-thinking hospital, like Lehigh Valley (Health Network), to make this kind of investment.”

Carmen Azar, a senior at Northampton Area High School, and Abraham Tabarani, a junior at Whitehall High School, were among the students to test the machine.

Although the cost of the machine made the students hesitant to explore, JJ Dimartini, a clinical sales associate with Intuitive, guided the students through its operations.

Baccala said the students were given a great opportunity at an inside look at this field.

“You are the future,” he told them.

Baccala offered helpful tips and tricks on navigating the uphill battle the students were approaching in their studies.

NAHS senior Jonathan O’Rourke, who plans to pursue a career in technology, asked whether he should obtain a background in medicine in order to achieve his dreams of building lifesaving equipment. Baccala assured him success is achieved through a collaborative effort, and he would be able to rely on those who choose a path in a compilatory field.

The students spent the remainder of their day exploring the surgical training room.

Carol Crabbs, surgery simulation technician at LVHN, provided the students with the same training tasks aspiring surgeons utilize on a daily basis. The room operated like a surgical obstacle course, with tasks ranging from the use of robotic arms to move small objects from one side to another to scavenging for little objects that emulated tumors.

Many of the students in the room were seniors with plans of attending college in the fall as anticipated STEM majors. Opportunities like this allow them a clarified view on what their future could look like.