Epworth Freemasons continues to lead the country in robotic-assisted surgery with the addition of a second state-of-the-art model.
The new Xi robot has expanded the hospital's capacity to deliver complex and intricate procedures in a minimally invasive way. It means patients may potentially experience less post-operative pain, a lower risk of infection and faster recovery times.
The hospital's existing Xi robot is currently the second-highest used in the country and Epworth Freemasons colorectal surgeon, Associate Professor Satish Warrier, has used it more than 500 times alone.
A/Prof Warrier said the Xi robot made the technically challenging procedures more feasible when operating in tight spaces where it can be difficult to perform open surgery, such as lymph node removals, complex hernia work, colon and rectal cancer surgeries.
"The amount of potential trauma to tissues is less, which means some patients may have the potential for earlier discharge than if we had performed open surgery," A/Prof Warrier said.
"As an example, we had done five robotic-assisted surgeries on a Saturday and four of those patients were discharged by the Monday morning."
Epworth HealthCare was the first hospital group in the Asia Pacific region to purchase a surgical robot in 2003. The first robotic operation in Australia was performed on a prostate cancer patient at Epworth Richmond.
A/Prof Warrier said Epworth continues to be a strong pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery to this day.
"We are probably at the top tier in the world in terms of using robots in more advanced cancer cases where we perform multi-organ removals particularly in the pelvis," he said.
"Some cancers attach to vessels, nerves and to other structures which historically would have mandated a large incision.
"It's all about providing more options and the best possible outcomes for patients."
