Robotic Assisted Surgery at Peter Mac
Robotic Assisted Surgery at Peter Mac - Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
| Robotic assisted surgery using the da Vinci® S HD surgical system was introduced at Peter Mac in July 2010. This state-of-the-art technology allows surgeons to perform complex surgery through keyhole incisions, thereby reducing morbidity and hospital stay when compared to conventional open surgery. | ||||||
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| This technology is already available in the private hospital sector in Melbourne and Peter Mac is the only public hospital to have a da Vinci® surgical system within Victoria. | ||||||
| What is robotic surgery? | ||||||
| Commonly referred to as a ‘robot’, the da Vinci® is a surgical tool which facilitates complex laparoscopic surgical procedures. It is not capable of independent movement but responds to the surgeon’s commands via an advanced remote-control system. The surgeon sits at a console in the corner of the operating theatre, viewing live 3-D images of the patient’s inner organs. The robot is positioned over the patient’s abdomen, deploying its telescope and instruments deep inside the body. Using hand and foot controls, the surgeon manipulates the camera system and miniature instruments deep inside the patient’s body, allowing extremely precise and delicate surgery to be performed through tiny incisions. | ||||||
| What can robotic surgery be used for? | ||||||
| The most commonly performed robotic surgery procedure worldwide is robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (robotic prostatectomy). Currently more than 90% of radical prostatectomies in the USA are performed with the da Vinci system. Other procedures that can be performed using robotic assisted surgery include: • anterior resection for rectal cancer • hysterectomy • partial nephrectomy • radical cystectomy for bladder cancer • selected head and neck cancers (trans-oral robotic surgery). | ||||||
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| Robotic surgery at Peter Mac | ||||||
| As part of its Academic Cancer Robotic Surgery Program (ARCaSP), and thanks to generous philanthropic funding, a da Vinci® S HD surgical system was installed in July 2010. Uptake of the new technology was rapid, and now over 100 robotic prostatectomies are performed every year. The Robotic Surgery Program is directed by Associate Professor Declan Murphy, consultant urologist at Peter Mac. A/Professor Murphy is Fellowship-trained in robotic surgery and was previously a consultant urologist at Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust in London, one of the world's leading robotic surgery centres. Robotic-assisted surgery is also now available for selected patients with rectal cancer (robotic-assisted laparoscopic anterior resection), small kidney cancers (robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy), and selected thoracic (chest) surgeries. | ||||||
| Robotic surgery team | ||||||
| Urological Surgery • Associate Professor Declan Murphy, Urological Surgeon and Director of Robotic Surgery • Mr Daniel Moon, Urological Surgeon • Mr Jeremy Goad, Urological Surgeon • Dr Jim Duthie, Advanced Training Registrar in Uro-Oncology • Ms Kathryn Schubach, Uro-Oncology Advanced Practice Nurse • Ms Emma Birch, Robotic Surgery Nurse Coordinator Colorectal Surgery • Associate Professor Craig Lynch • Professor Sandy Heriot Thoracic Surgery • Mr Gavin Wright • Mr Steve Barnett | ||||||
| Referrals for robotic surgery at Peter Mac | ||||||
| Referrals for patients across Victoria are accepted from general practitioners or from other specialists. | ||||||
| Click here to find information regarding referrals to Peter Mac. Patients with localised prostate cancer should be referred to A/Professor Declan Murphy. Patients with rectal cancer should be referred to A/Professor Craig Lynch. Patients with small renal masses should be referred to A/Professor Declan Murphy or Mr Daniel Moon. | ||||||
| Media release | ||||||
| Click here to view the Victorian Government Department of Health video regarding the Peter Mac da Vinci S HD robot, including the Premier Ted Baillieu MP speaking at the official launch of the Academic Robotic Cancer Surgery Program in April 2011. | ||||||
| Contact Kathryn Schubach Prostate Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist Phone: 03 9656 5856 E-mail: kathryn.schubach@petermac.org. | ||||||
| Robotic surgery in the media | ||||||
| There is ongoing debate in Australian and international media regarding the best surgical option to treat prostate cancer; as Victoria’s first public hospital to offer robotic-assisted surgery, Peter Mac plays an important role in this discussion. In the video below, hear Associate Professor Declan Murphy: Director of the Academic Robotic Cancer Surgery Program at Peter Mac, explain the benefits and implications of this surgical approach, as reported recently on ABC's The 7.30 Report. | ||||||
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