St Vincent’s Hospital Enhances Robotic Surgery Capability

This week saw the first St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba patient undergo surgery using the world-class da Vinci robot system and accompanying Trumpf operating table.

St Vincent’s Hospital CEO Kathryn McKeefry said the da Vinci robot will mean patients have the benefits of less invasive surgery, increased precision and improved recovery times. The benefits of the da Vinci surgical robot are further enhanced thanks to our purchase of the Trumpf operating table which integrates with the surgeon’s operation of the robot,” Ms McKeefry said. Results for patients undergoing general, colorectal and other abdominal surgery will be optimised by the new surgical system.”

Director of Clinical Services, Malcolm Casey, said a special training day for clinical staff and specialists was held in March to explore the capacity of the da Vinci system, allow those attending to ask questions and to invite discussion.

There is a clinical nursing specialist with extensive experience in theatre robotics who will oversee training and support for staff assisting clinicians. In addition, a theatre is wholly dedicated to the da Vinci robot,” Mr Casey said. Fittingly, two of Australia’s five most experienced benign gynaecology surgeons and Australia-wide da Vinci robot system mentors, Dr Anthony Cerqui of Women’s Health Only and Dr Brendan Miller of Blue and Pink, will be using the robot at St Vincent’s. Dr Cerqui was the first surgeon to use the da Vinci robot at St Vincent’s hospital when he performed a gynaecological procedure on Friday morning (28 April).

He welcomes St Vincent’s Hospital’s new acquisition which allows extension of his role in mentoring other gynaecological surgeons from across Australia. St Vincent’s purchase of the da Vinci robot represents a significant investment in women’s health in this region. This technology has considerable benefits for gynae patients in terms of patient outcomes and recovery time,” Dr Cerqui said. I look forward to offering this more sophisticated and world-class service to my patients.”

On the technical side, the da Vinci system translates the surgeon’s hand movements at the console in real-time, allowing intuitive motion which acts like the human hand, but with a greater range of motion. The da Vinci vision system also delivers highly magnified, 3D high-definition views of the surgical area. The instrument size makes it possible for surgeons to operate through a few small incisions, thus helping patient recovery and pain management.

Submitted by:
Jenny Foxton
Business Development Manager
St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba