THUNDER BAY — Surgeons at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre now have a "game-changing" tool at their disposal.
The hospital acquired a da Vinci Surgical System in November with the first surgery conducted with the equipment on March 6.
Dr. Walid Shahrour, a urologist at the hospital, said the da Vinci is an “amazing tool.”
“With this system, we’re able to see things in 3D,” he said. “This gives you 3D imaging so you can see everything as if you are inside of the patient yourself. It gives amazing magnification. You can see everything really close.”
The system can be used for several procedures, including prostate, kidney, and bladder surgeries as well as cyst removal.
Normally, operations are done through open surgery or laparoscopically — using a small lighted camera to operate through a very small incision.
“The robot arms and tools, they are moving the exact same way as your hands. You’re doing the surgery as if your hands are inside and not using the laparoscopic tools, which are like chopsticks,” said Shahrour.
The surgical system also works with other technology, including ultrasounds to get a better eye on tumours and Shahrour said you can inject dyes into patients “so you can see the tumour or cancer lighting up in front of you.”
“You can be very precise in your surgeries,” he added.
With the da Vinci system, some patients can avoid travelling to southern Ontario for procedures, said Shahrour, and the recovery time is quicker, freeing up hospital beds in Thunder Bay.
“It’s been amazing to say the least. Patients are going home the same day. We’re doing extremely difficult surgeries we were not before because of the capacity we have with this robot,” he said. “Having this done at home is a game-changer.”
“Whatever you were going to get in Toronto, you can get in Thunder Bay,” added Shahrour. “It speaks volumes.”
The da Vinci Surgical System has an estimated purchase price of $2.5 million. However, the TBRHSC uses it on a pay-per-procedure basis at an operational cost of about $600,000 annually.
- With files from Jessah Clement
