Two Surgeons, One Family - The Power Couple Expanding What's Possible at LCMHS

For the past five years of their marriage, Darin Doumite, MD, and Amanda Ellington, MD, have worked together to build two things: a general surgery practice with Memorial Medical Group and their own family at home.

“Our children often ask us, ‘Who is on call this weekend?’ It’s funny to me that as young as they are, they seem to understand the kind of work we do,” says Dr. Ellington.

The two met in residency and were both in the general surgery program. They knew it was likely that they would end up at the same hospital, but it was a bit of an adjustment the first year. Over time they figured out how to help each other, and they agree that balancing a busy work schedule with family time is easier because they’re in the same field of medicine.

There’s a tiny bit of competition that’s always there; most surgeons have that competitive edge,” Dr. Ellington says. “But it works for our lifestyle and priorities. We are lucky to have people in our lives who help us every day. It truly takes a village.”

Learning something new

Both surgeons have performed minimally invasive surgeries for several years. Their interest in performing these types of surgeries robotically came at different times. Dr. Doumite was eager to train and begin on the da Vinci surgical system in March 2021. The visualization of anatomy, precision and better outcomes for patients eventually won over Dr. Ellington, and she began pursuing robotic-assisted surgery to incorporate it into her practice as well.

Despite how it sounds, robots don’t perform the surgeries. During robotic-assisted surgery, the surgeon sits at a computer console and controls the robot’s arms, which have tiny surgical instruments attached to them. A thin tube with a camera attached to one of the instruments allows the surgeon to view a magnified 3-D image of the body as they perform the surgery.

The robotic arms match the surgeon’s hand motions as the procedure is performed. This means the surgeon is 100% in control.

Tiny cuts, big benefits

Dr. Doumite is the first general surgeon at Lake Charles Memorial to take the initiative to incorporate this new skill into his practice. Since then he has performed over 500 general surgeries using the da Vinci robot, including gall bladder, appendix removals, hernia repairs and more. What once was a major surgery can now be done with just a few tiny incisions.

“I have seen my patients’ average length of stay on major colon resections decrease from five days to two and a half days,” says Dr. Doumite. “Patients are using less narcotics for pain control and are returning to full activity in two weeks after hernia repair. I truly believe robotics is here to stay. I’m excited we can offer the latest and greatest surgical technology to our community.”

Once Dr. Ellington witnessed the dramatic patient outcomes that her husband’s patients experienced, she wanted to be able to offer that to her patients as well. She began training and, about a year after her husband, started using this innovative technology in her practice.

Expanding what's possible

Robotics is rapidly changing the field of minimally invasive general surgery at Lake Charles Memorial Health System, especially for Drs. Doumite and Ellington. These motivated and compassionate physicians make up a true “power couple,” at work and home. Both physicians happily say, “We are like most families with three children and working parents—we are just trying to survive and have fun while doing it!”

Why choose robotic surgery?

At Lake Charles Memorial Health System, surgeons have access to the fourth-generation da Vinci XI, the latest and most advanced surgical system by Intuitive.

• Less pain and bleeding
• Reduced operating time
• Decreased surgical site infections
• Lower readmission rate
• Faster recovery time
• Less pain narcotic use