Baltimore

Baltimore – September 17, 2026 -- Mercy Medical Center has introduced Mako SmartRoboticsTM technology for shoulder replacement surgery, making it among the first providers in the Mid-Atlantic region to offer the robotic-arm assisted procedure.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Gregory Gasbarro leads the new program

Gregory V. Gasbarro, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and fellowship-trained shoulder specialist at Mercy, is now performing robotic Mako shoulder arthroplasty for patients. He treats patients ages 15 and older through The Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist and Hand Center at Mercy.

The technology builds a 3D surgical plan from a patient's own CT scan

Mako SmartRoboticsTM uses a detailed 3D CT scan of each patient's shoulder to generate a personalized surgical plan. During the operation, the robotic-arm assisted system helps the surgeon execute that plan with added precision while allowing real-time adjustments.

BALTIMORE – – September 15, 2026 -- MedStar Health has performed its first endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), a non-surgical procedure that shrinks the stomach without incisions, offering a new weight-loss option for patients who don't want or don't qualify for traditional bariatric surgery.

Christopher You, MD, a board-certified general and bariatric surgeon at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, performed the procedure on Aug. 21. The patient went home the same day.

The 90-minute procedure reshapes the stomach through the mouth

While the patient is under mild sedation, Dr. You inserts a flexible tube with a tiny camera through the mouth and into the stomach. Using special sutures, he reduces the stomach's size into a smaller, tube-like pouch. No part of the stomach is removed, and there are no external cuts or scars.