Robotic Surgery 101
2025-10-01 | On Demand
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Robotic Surgery 101
Presented By: Nicholas Miller, MD
General Surgery, Beacon Health System
Nicholas Miller, MD, began his working career as a commercial photographer. After he suffered the loss of a friend through a tragic car accident, he began to rethink his calling. “Through the time spent in the hospital with [my friend] and his family, I felt the calling to pursue a career in medicine, and ultimately in surgery,” he says.
Dr. Miller does not have any other family members in the medical profession. He comes from a long line of Amish cabinet makers, who have been in that business since 1918. “I am fluent in Pennsylvania Dutch and love to use the mother tongue to connect with my Amish and Mennonite patients.”
Toward the end of the six-year period working as a photographer and graphic designer, he earned his Bachelor of Science at the University of Akron, majoring in Biology. During college, he founded a small web-based company that sold custom leather goods to customers around the globe. He worked with local Amish leather shops to create and fulfill orders. While running this online business, he began medical school at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree.
He describes his philosophy of surgery as “a pursuit of the highest technical standards of excellence, combined with a desire to create a deep personal connection with each patient.”
Dr. Miller says, “One of the greatest things I have gained from observing my patients is that ordinary people are often capable of great courage.”

Disclosure Statement: Dr. Miller is a consultant for Intuitive Surgical, the makers of the DaVinci robotic surgery system. In this role, Dr. Miller provides proctoring services for surgeons learning the DaVinci system. This presentation primarily focused on general robotic surgery. While there are currently no other FDA-approved competitors, systems in development were mentioned. All relevant financial relationships were reviewed and appropriately mitigated prior to the activity.
