Epworth HealthCare is the first health service in Australia to receive new state-of-the-art robotic-assisted surgical technology that enables surgeons to perform complex surgery through a few small incisions.
The da Vinci 5 robotic-assisted surgical system arrived at Epworth Freemasons in East Melbourne this week. It adds to the hospital's existing da Vinci Xi system, providing patients and surgeons with greater access to modern surgical technology.
Like the Xi model, the da Vinci 5 robotic-assisted surgical system has four robotic 'arms' with wristed movements that are precisely controlled by the surgeon through a console – like an extension of their hands.
The minimally invasive approach may be clinically appropriate for some patients, with associated benefits of reduced post-operative pain, smaller incisions and shorter recovery times.
The new model delivers more computing power, higher-resolution 3D imaging, as well as a more ergonomic console for surgeons controlling the device.
It will be used in procedures across urology, gynaecology, thoracic, cardiac, colorectal, and general surgery at Epworth Freemasons.
Epworth has been an Australian leader in robotic surgery for more than two decades, pioneering the use of the da Vinci robotic system in 2003 in the first robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy at Epworth Richmond.
