Surgical robot expands its scope of procedures

After assisting 100 Sunshine Coast Health patients, the Da Vinci surgical robot is now being used in more types of procedures. Having joined the surgical team at Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) a year ago, the Da Vinci robot has mostly been used for urological surgeries, Sunshine Coast Health said — with patients reporting reduced pain and quick recoveries. Now, the surgical team is expanding the robotics program to include general surgery and gynaecology.

“It optimises your precision in your surgery,” SCUH General Surgeon Dr Josefin Petersson said. “I get a 3D view that is really up close and I’m able to move and do really precision surgery in places I wouldn’t be able to do previously, that have been too hard to get to from a keyhole, laparoscopic point of view.” The key benefits of robotic-assisted surgery are reduced pain, less blood loss and significantly faster recovery than open or laparoscopic procedures, Petersson said.

“For patients undergoing urology surgery, robotics has cut down their hospital stay from five nights to one night, while also helping them return to normal activities up to two months faster,” Robotic Surgery Clinical Nurse Consultant Phil Hall said. For hysterectomy patients, it reduces a 10-day hospital stay to one night and significantly reduces the amount of scarring, SCUH said.

“This is going to significantly change our patients’ surgical experience here at SCUH,” Hall said. The surgeon sits at a nearby console and controls the robot’s instruments with their hands and feet during robotic-assisted surgery — while viewing a crystal-clear, magnified 3D image of the surgical site. “It’s a great tool to use when you’re performing difficult surgery in narrow smaller spaces, where there’s not much room — it enhances your view and you can do amazing things,” Petersson said.

Image: Theatre nurse prepping the arms of the Da Vinci robot for surgery. Credit: Sunshine Coast Health