New robots boost Geelong healthcare options

20/02/25

At the age of 73, Cecile O’Gorman has found a new lease of life thanks to the latest robotic enhancement at Epworth Geelong hospital.

Suffering from osteoarthritis in her left knee, the Grovedale resident was scared of falling and needed to walk with an aid.

Now, after having knee replacement surgery made possible by the Victorian private hospital’s new VELYS robot, she is looking forward to getting active again – swimming in the pool and cooking in the kitchen.

“I just want to go back to being able to do the things I loved to do,” she said.

Cecile, a cheesemaker, was one of the first patients at the Epworth HealthCare facility to benefit from the new technology, with the procedure performed by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Andrew Wilkinson.

“It’s fascinating. I think it’s great how science is helping,” she said ahead of her surgery.

The VELYS robot helps surgeons to work with precision and personalise the operation to a patient’s anatomy, working intraoperatively without the need for CT scans.

Epworth Geelong has also recently introduced another robotic machine – a navigation system for spinal fusion procedures – to add to its array of advanced technology, which includes da Vinci and Mako devices.

It bought its first robot system in 2018 – the year Dr Wilkinson’s colleague Dr Andrew Byrne became the first surgeon at Epworth Geelong to use a robot to perform a total knee replacement in 2018. He reached a milestone of 550 procedures in 2024.

The new robots are part of a planned $20 million investment at Epworth Geelong to significantly increase hospital beds and operating theatres, including ramping up orthopaedics, cardiology and cancer treatment, and further developing the region’s only neurosurgical service.

Executive General Manager Scott Norman said robotic-assisted surgery had led to great outcomes for patients, giving them more choice.

“We are excited to introduce the new robots to our suite of robot-assisted operations at Epworth Geelong,” he said. 

“This intelligent technology assists during minimally-invasive surgery, enabling small incisions and, in most cases, a quick return to day-to-day activities.”