New robot benefits regional patients

Tamworth patients can look forward to faster recovery times and more treatment options closer to home, following Tamara Private Hospital's latest technological upgrade.

After the hospital was the first to introduce robotic technology to regional New South Wales in 2018, the Ramsay Health Care facility has now invested in the newest model of the da Vinci robotic surgical assistant system.

It will be used for urology, gynaecology and general surgery procedures.

Urologist Dr Ian Smithsaidthe benefits to patients wereobvious in the example of kidney operations.

"The open approachto surgeryrequires a large flank incision in an area of the body that is extremely painful post-operatively," Dr Smith said.

"This can see people in hospital on strong pain medication fora number ofdays.However, done robotically, patients typically leave hospital in two days withvery littlepain medication."

Fellow urologist Dr Ramin Samali was also impressed by the new robot's capabilities.

"Robotic surgery offers a minimally-invasive approach often associated with quicker recovery and earlier discharge from hospital,"Dr Samali said.

"Theda VinciXi is designed to increase our laparoscopic capabilities,with extra reach of instruments and clearer 3Dvision."

Gynaecologist Dr Elizabeth Varughese saidthe 3D camera was "a phenomenal improvement" over traditional2Dlaparoscopic devicesused for keyhole procedures.

"It gives better depth perception, whichbecomes very important when doing complex cases,"Dr Varughesesaid.Dr Smith said he was grateful Tamara Private Hospital hadembracedmedical advances to give regional Australians better access to healthcare technology and facilities.

"The costforregional Australians to constantly travel long distances for appointments, scans and surgeries cannot beoverestimated. Having this facility locally is a huge step forward,"he said.

CEO Debra Maslen said the hospital was proud to offer local communities greater access to roboticsurgicalprocedures, avoiding the need for trips to Sydney or Brisbane.

"It helpsreduce stressfor ourpatients and allowsthem to recover close to home, withtheir support network,"Ms Maslen said.

Read more: Ramsay expansions increase patient options

Read more: $10m upgrade to boost Tamworth healthcare

Next News And Innovation:
31/10/2023 App to transform physio assessment

Previous News And Innovation:
18/10/2023 Quick recovery for marathon man