For the first time in the Southern Hemisphere, complex colorectal surgery has been performed via one small incision through the bellybutton using advanced robotic-assisted surgical technology at Epworth Richmond.
In February, Epworth colorectal surgeon Adjunct Professor Satish Warrier used the new da Vinci Single-Port (SP) robotic surgical system to treat a benign polyp by removing a small part the colon through just one incision of around 25mm in diameter.
Controlled by the surgeon via a console, a 3DHD endoscope and articulated surgical instruments enter the body as they do in the traditional multi-port robotic surgery, but once inside they spring out "like snakes".
"This breakthrough technology means colorectal surgery patients may be left with just one small scar – often hidden in the bellybutton – and may experience a faster recovery," Prof Warrier said.
Prof Warrier travelled to Korea to train in the new robotic surgical system alongside fellow Epworth colorectal surgeons Dr Toan Pham, Professor Sandy Heriot and Mr Ian Hastie.
"We will be continuously learning from each other and looking at how we can best deliver this technology for our patients at Epworth," Prof Warrier said.
"There will continue to be a significant role for multi-port robotic-assisted surgery, which continues to allow for precise surgery within the body, but it is about having the opportunity to offer patients a variety of choices and tailoring those choices to their needs."
Epworth has been a strong pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery for more than two decades.
Epworth HealthCare was the first hospital group in the Asia Pacific region to purchase a surgical robot in 2003. The first robotic-assisted operation in Australia was performed on a prostate cancer patient at Epworth Richmond.
Across Epworth Freemasons and Epworth Richmond, Prof Warrier performs around 200 multi-port robotic-assisted surgery cases each year and expects to perform 20-30 cases each year with this new technology.
"Epworth is the leading robotics centre of excellence in Australia, not just in terms of the size of the fleet of robotic surgical systems, but also our ability to offer a range of robotic-assisted surgery options for our patients," Prof Warrier said.
Caption: Dr Toan Pham, Professor Sandy Heriot, Mr Ian Hastie and A/Prof Satish Warrier during their training visit to Korea.
