The only da Vinci surgical robot in Western Australia has surpassed a milestone of performing 500 procedures.
St John of God Subiaco Hospital’s surgical robot, affectionately known as “Marvin”, has called the hospital home since 2008, assisting surgeons in performing minimally invasive, radical prostatectomies and other delicate surgeries.
A surgeon operates the da Vinci robot console using fingertip and footswitch controls, which gives them control over the four robotic arms while examining the operating area via a magnified, high-resolution, 3D image.
Patients who are operated upon by a da Vinci robot have a quicker recovery and are less likely to suffer from surgical side affects.
Urological Surgeon at St John of God Subiaco Justin Vivian routinely performs radical prostatectomies using Marvin.
“Patients are recognising the benefits of robotic prostatectomies as an effective treatment option for prostate cancer diagnosis,” he said.
“Robotic surgery offers a minimally invasive surgical option for patients. There are now two randomised trials showing superior recovery of potency after robotics compared to conventional laparoscopy. Continence recovery was also superior in one of the trials. This has certainly been my clinical experience.”
“It is gratifying to see patients leave hospital the day after surgery, and still have early return of normal functioning.”