Surrey hospital gets fancy robot to help patients

Surrey Memorial Hospital is now using the da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgery system that will speed up some surgeries and mean greater accuracy.

It was unpacked and calibrated and will remain in a temporary location while as staff await the completion of renovations in its permanent operating room.

“With the aid of the da Vinci Xi system, we can expand minimally invasive thoracic and foregut surgery and we can do operations with greater precision and accuracy,” said Dr. Ahmad Ashrafi, regional division head and chief of thoracic surgery for Fraser Health. “Patients may experience quicker recovery times and we can carry out more complex procedures right here in Surrey, using minimally invasive techniques. This advanced technology will also help us attract and retain top surgical talent at Surrey Memorial Hospital.”

The system allows surgeons at a console to operate remote-controlled robotic arms to perform laparoscopic surgery with added precision. 3D high-definition vision allows for ultra-clear views of a patient’s anatomy.

People requiring ear, nose and throat (ENT) and thoracic (lung, chest, esophagus and stomach) surgeries will be the first to benefit. Patients previously referred out of Fraser Health will be able to receive their care at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

“Access to robotic surgery will help us remove tumours and treat cancers more effectively,” said Dr. Oleksandr Butskiy, surgeon, Surrey Memorial Hospital. “For example, for hard-to-reach throat cancers we often have to cut a patient’s jaw to remove the tumour. With da Vinci, we can do the surgery in a more minimally invasive way with the smallest incisions possible, leading to better recovery and fewer visible signs of surgery.”

Public fundraising helped with the purchase of this equipment.

“This advancement in surgical care for Surrey is possible thanks to the ongoing commitment by the Surrey Hospitals Foundation and their generous donors to help fund the establishment of the Robotics program.” says Cindy Laukkanen, executive director, Surgery and Anesthesia Networks. “I would like to thank the Foundation and donors in our community who are helping to advance surgeries at Surrey Memorial Hospital.”