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.”
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 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.
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.
Readers also enjoyed our story about Stanthorpe Streetscape Stage 1
