News
Robotic Surgery Comes to Gold Coast
Jun 05, 2013
Gold Coast prostate cancer sufferers will now be able to access the most advanced treatment on the Gold Coast with John Flynn Private Hospital announcing the imminent installation of the da Vinci ® Surgical Robot System. Previously only available if Gold Coast patients wanted to travel to Brisbane or Sydney for the procedure, the installation of the robot at John Flynn Private Hospital next month will allow urologists to offer robotic-assisted prostatectomies without patients having to leave the region.
John Flynn Private CEO Greg Jenke said he was delighted that the hospital would be able to offer patients who were suitable candidates this superior, minimally invasive surgical option for radical prostate surgery.
"The da Vinci prostatectomy is innovative technology that offers extraordinary benefits to patients and revolutionises the treatment for prostate cancer," John Flynn Private Urologist, Dr Alistair Campbell said.
"It enables urologists to operate in the difficult to get to lower pelvis through very small incisions with unmatched precision. It is arguably the most effective, least invasive surgical approach to prostate cancer treatment."
In the USA, over two thirds of all radical prostatectomies are currently performed using this technology where the robot replicates the surgeon's hand movements. It makes for an intuitive approach with a high level of precision, allowing surgeons to perform this complex procedure using keyhole surgery, needing incisions of less than 1cm compared to an incision of up to 10 – 20cm for a traditional radical prostatectomy.
"Benefits to patients include less pain, shorter stay in hospital, and less risk of infection," Dr Campbell said.
"Typically a patient who has undergone the radical prostatectomy using the da Vinci ® Surgical System can expect a shorter hospital stay and return to normal daily activities."
Urologists at John Flynn are looking to offer minimally invasive complex urological surgeries of the prostate and kidney to patients from the Gold Coast, Tweed and Northern Rivers.