Robots are increasingly being used in operating rooms across Australia to assist surgeons with precise, intricate movements using smaller surgical instruments with smaller incisions.
In a first for robotic surgery in Western Australia, a robot was used at St John of God Subiaco Hospital in July 2016 to assist with a hip replacement operation – only the second time in Australia.
Two patients underwent the robotic procedure that is expected to provide more precise implantation of components when compared to current techniques, which can have up to 20 degrees of positional variation.
St John of God Subiaco Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lachlan Henderson, said while surgeons have extremely high success rates with traditional hip replacement surgery, robotic technology provides an extra layer of precision.
Orthopaedic surgeons at Subiaco Hospital were the first in Australia to use an interactive orthopaedic robot for partial knee replacement (PKR) surgery in April 2015, when St John of God Subiaco Hospital first installed the robot.
Since then, 90 robotically assisted PKR surgeries have been undertaken at the hospital.
Dr Henderson said robotically assisted surgical techniques allow highly accurate pre-operative planning, merging the accuracy of computer navigation and the ability to customise position based on the three dimensional anatomy of each individual patient.
“The robot gives surgeons the ability to adjust their plan intra-operatively, in real-time, to further optimise the operation,” he said.
“The pre-surgical plan is especially useful for surgeons, as they can assess bone preparation areas and customise implant positioning using a CT scan of the patient’s hip joint.”
The surgeons underwent extensive training to learn how to best utilise the technology. They plan to use the robotic technology for full knee replacements in the near future.
Dr Henderson added that the hospital has invested in operating room robots for a range of specialty areas, including orthopaedics, gynaecology, surgical oncology and urology.
“The robot technology is part of our focus to assist our doctors and patients by providing first-class facilities and the latest technologies,” he said.
In addition, the hospital is undertaking clinical research on robotic surgery to measure patient outcomes and to ensure care is evidence-based and informed by research.
In a move that will revolutionise the provision of a range of surgery in Geelong, the St John of God (Geelong) Hospital took delivery of a surgical robot in May this year.
The new da Vinci Xi system – the first in Victoria – allows surgeons to perform highly precise surgical procedures within the patient’s body through keyhole incisions.
The four-arm robot is controlled by a surgeon who sits at a console using a high-definition three-dimensional image to guide the surgical procedure.
“This ground-breaking technology is becoming an integral element of a modern surgical service,” said St John of God Geelong Hospital CEO, Stephen Roberts.
“This robot is a natural extension of the surgeon’s eyes and hands. It allows for greater precision and finer surgical work within the patient’s body, utlilising minimally invasive procedures and resulting in better surgical outcomes.”
Mr Roberts said that robot-assisted surgery has established itself as the preferred platform for complex prostate surgery in Australia, with more than 70 per cent of all prostatectomies performed in private hospitals now robot assisted, and the latest generation Xi robot is establishing an emerging presence in bariatric, bowel, thoracic and gynaecological surgeries.
He said that a complement of surgeons had already commenced an extensive training program to use the new technology.
“Delivering the safest possible program of the highest quality is our priority and the introduction of new technology requires a very strong training, clinical governance and a constant review of patient outcomes,” Mr Roberts said.
“To get the most benefit from the technology for our community, we need our people and our processes absolutely on song.
“This technology allows us to do things we could never do before. We are very excited to be a leader in this field and at the prospect of offering this world-class service to patients in Geelong.”
From pages 17 and 18 from Issue 4: ‘Health’ of The Record Magazine