Meet the surgeon with four arms

Since 2013, skilled surgeons at St Andrew’s have performed over 5,500 intricate surgeries using our leading edge da Vinci robotic system.

The da Vinci robot is a powerful marriage of sophisticated technology with the judgement and care of human hands. A surgeon sits at a console within the operating theatre, with a magnified view of the operating site and highly sensitive hand controls. Across the room, the fourarmed robot responds to the surgeon’s manipulations, to operate on the patient.

The da Vinci’s specialty is laparoscopic (‘keyhole’) surgery, a minimally invasive technique using small incisions to access inner parts of the body with cameras and small-scale instruments.

The goal, of course, is better patient outcomes. The da Vinci allows us to achieve this in a number of ways: smaller incisions and less invasive access to internal surgical sites means less pain and blood loss, leading to far shorter hospital stays and recovery times.

Of the machine’s four arms, one holds a miniaturised surgical camera that gives the surgeon a magnified view in high-definition 3-D. The remaining three arms are equipped with interchangeable precision tools including scalpels, lasers, suction and irrigation tools and forceps. It has an accuracy of movement and degree of manipulation deep inside the body that would be impossible with traditional hand-held tools.

St Andrew’s was the first private hospital in South Australia to install the da Vinci system, and ours is currently the busiest in all of the Asia-Pacific region. In fact we’re on our second model, the Xi, ensuring our practice remains at the leading edge of the technology.

St Andrew’s CEO Stephen Walker explains that the scope of work on the da Vinci includes paediatric procedures and surgical training.

“We undertake approximately 740 procedures each year, mainly in urology but also in ear, nose and throat surgery, general surgery, gynaecological surgery and colorectal surgery. We also undertake the majority of the public robotic work including paediatric patients from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital here in Adelaide.

“We have a highly skilled and experienced robotic team, including surgeons, nursing staff, robotic surgical assistants, and anaesthetists; their level of expertise is outstanding.

“St Andrew’s also prides itself on helping surgeons learn to use the da Vinci surgical robot, with the addition of a second console for education and training. The difference in patient experience and recovery, in many instances, can be dramatic. Jacquie Wiley, Director Nursing and Clinical Services, explains, “for example if you had cancer in your throat, surgeons traditionally had to split the jaw, and open it up to get to the cancer. Now with the robot, the surgeon can go in via the throat.”

Alongside physical benefits, the psychological impacts of surgery can be improved, explains Jacquie. Particularly with paediatric patients, shorter hospital stays and the avoidance of disfiguring procedures can contribute significantly to positive outcomes.

We would like to gratefully acknowledge Mr Gordon Pickard AM for his very generous and ongoing support of the da Vinci Surgical Robot program at St Andrew’s Hospital.