News

New surgical robot a first for western sydney

Jul 29, 2020

Westmead Private Hospital has made a quantum leap in surgical technology - investing in the latest robotic system to provide the very best in patient care.

Surgeons say the da Vinci Xi robot is ‘like an extension of their hands’, giving them an advanced set of instruments to perform many different types of complex surgery.

Leading gynaecologist at Westmead Private Hospital, Associate Professor Felix Chan, said it has never been so exciting to practice as a surgeon.

“This machine is a fantastic surgical tool, it improves the accuracy of gynaecological surgery and reduces complications,” Prof. Chan said.

“It’s like an extension of your arm or hands and it’s exciting for surgeons to be able to use this technology and look at higher definition, 3D camera imaging while we are operating.”

Reviews of published studies suggest patients operated on with the da Vinci technology experienced fewer overall complications, a shorter stay in hospital and less pain than those who had open surgery.

Professor Chan said since using the da Vinci Xi robot for complex gynaecological procedures, 90% of his patients were able to go home within 24 hours and 15% were able to go home the same day.

“Westmead Private is really leading the way because no other hospital in the Western Sydney region has this,” Prof. Chan said.

“The population is growing rapidly and by having the latest technology to work with, surgeons can work more efficiently and that opens up the potential to serve more of our community.”

Leading urologist Professor Howard Lau said the da Vinci Xi robot can be used for a range of complex procedures including urology, kidney, prostate, gynaecological, bowel, cardiothoracic, head & neck, bariatric, pancreatic and upper gastrointestinal tract surgeries.

“Our surgeons are very experienced in robotic surgery and we’ve been able to adapt to this upgraded equipment very, very quickly,” Professor Lau said.

“This latest generation of robot really takes surgery to the next level, because it is a safer option than open surgery and allows patients to recover more quickly.”

Westmead Private Hospital has led the way with robotic surgeries in Western Sydney, with earlier models including the da Vinci Si surgical system and the ROSA robot. The hospital was the first in Australia to offer single site incision capabilities and performed Australia’s first partial nephrectomy using firefly imaging.

“The da Vinci Xi robot is cutting edge technology and Westmead Private, and Ramsay Health Care, really need to be congratulated for keeping in touch with the latest medical facilities so that surgeons can use them to produce the best outcome for patients,” Prof. Chan said.