Decorated Doctor Finds His Way Back Home

By Samantha Morgan

Dr. James Murphy, one of the original students to graduate from the medical program at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine-Bowling Green campus in 2022, has now returned to the school where he first learned his trade…but this time as an instructor of future physicians.

The school, which opened in the fall of 2018, was part of a strategy by the UK College of Medicine to address physician shortage. Murphy embarked in a career in rural medicine, taking him throughout Kentucky and surrounding states.

Named in Fall 2048 as chief of general surgery at The Medical Center, Murphy is part of a research team that is introducing state-of-the-art technology to Med Center Health — including a microbot that will decrease invasiveness and promote efficient surgical care in procedures like laparoscopies and prostatectomies. 

"The use of robotics in surgery is nothing new," Murphy said. "The Medical Center has been using da Vinci Robotic Surgical Systems for many years. But microbots and the use of robotics systems at a microscopic scale is an idea whose time has finally come. They are more efficient than traditional robots and can also assist in drug delivery and therapies to help fight cancer." 

Surgeries now routinely performed by the da Vinci robotic arm include hysterectomies, lung tumor removal, nephrectomy (removal of kidney), prostatectomy, cystectomy, gall bladder removal, hernia repair and many others.

Murphy said that recent advances in robotic surgery have allowed for even better patient outcomes.

“Improved robotic surgery techniques at The Medical Center have been steadily decreasing the patient’s recovery time and length of stay, and the use of microbots will help even more,” he said. 

A few of the surgeries performed by the robotic arm will also be available through micro-robotic surgery, and with further development and research, the number of surgeries performed by the microbot will increase in the upcoming years.

"You can consult with your doctor to see which types of surgeries can be done with the robotic arm and which can be done with the microbot," Murphy said. 

The new microbots will also utilize AI to deliver even more precise results since the machines have the ability to reason and perform functions such as decision-making and problem-solving. 

"While humans are still needed to operate many of the robots at the hospital, the new microbots will not require that," he said. 

Murphy and his team were able to bring the idea to life this year after years of research and experimentation.

He is also bringing his knowledge of this new microscopic robotic technology at Med Center Health to his students. 

"I hope that this program excites and inspires my students enough so that they want to stay in Bowling Green and the surrounding region to practice at The Medical Center after they graduate," he said. "The hospital's robotics program has grown and improved so much in the past few years, and this new technology is a major enhancement." 

Med Center Health's recent expansion has also allowed for growth in the robotics department, which is now located in the new technology building on 31W Bypass. 

"The future of robotics at The Medical Center is looking bright," Murphy said. "We will see an improved outlook for patients. Along with a quicker recovery time, we will also see even better patient results with the use of the microbots and hope to see more improvements, with the help of current and future medical students."