The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System has achieved a groundbreaking milestone in Veteran surgical care, performing the first-ever combined robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy and bilateral inguinal hernia repair in the entire U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — and the first in any hospital in the Charleston, South Carolina area.
The dual procedure was successfully completed on March 24, 2025, by a multidisciplinary surgical team led by Dr. Benjamin Stone, Urologist, and Dr. Heather Evans, General Surgeon, using state-of-the-art robotic surgical technology. The innovative approach allowed both major surgeries to be safely performed in one session under a single anesthesia — improving patient safety, shortening recovery time, and minimizing disruption to the Veteran’s life.
“This is a significant milestone as it demonstrates—again—that the VA can offer the most advanced, most current care to Veterans,” said Dr. Heather L. Evans, who is Chief of Surgery at Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center.
The procedure was made possible through the Charleston VA’s rapidly growing robotic surgery program, which now ranks #5 across all VA medical centers nationwide in robotic surgical volume. The facility’s surgical program includes general surgeons and urologists trained in complex robotic procedures such as prostatectomy, hysterectomy, bariatric surgery, and advanced hernia repair.
Nationally recognized for its innovation and high-quality outcomes, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System was recently named one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s Top Innovative Health Programs in the Nation and holds a 5-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.
“We have an outstanding multispecialty surgery group at RHJ,” Evans said. “Over the last two years, we’ve expanded our program with five general surgeons and two urologists who routinely use the robot, and this case exemplifies the power of cross-specialty collaboration and surgical innovation.”
The combination of the two procedures also provides key medical benefits. Performing the hernia repair and prostatectomy at the same time avoids the risk of repeated operations in the same surgical area, which can be complicated by scar tissue and delayed healing.
“Our aim is to reduce time to recovery back to baseline,” said Evans. “Compared to a two-staged procedure, Veterans can return to daily activity much faster, have less time off from work, and experience fewer complications.”
Robotic surgery offers greater precision, smaller incisions, and reduced infection risk compared to traditional open procedures. In many cases, including this one, patients can return within 24 hours — a major advancement for complex surgeries.
As more surgeons trained in robotic techniques enter VA service, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System continues to lead the way in redefining what is possible in Veteran surgical care.
For more information about this procedure or the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care Systems robotic surgery program, please contact Joey Swafford at Joseph.Swafford@va.gov or 843-484-1902.