Robot surgery benefits closer to home

Source: http://phnews.org.au/

10/05/23

In less than three years, more than 2,000 people have benefited from cutting-edge surgery closer to home at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital.

The Ramsay Health Care facility has celebrated reaching the milestone for orthopaedic operations using a Robotic Surgical Assistant (ROSA), which it introduced in June 2020. 

“Lake Macquarie Private Hospital is committed to offering leading healthcare options for patients of the Hunter and surrounding regions,” CEO Sharon Rewitt said. 

“Having this technology right here in the Hunter gives patients the options to undergo robotically-assisted surgery close to home and their support network, without the need to travel to Sydney.”    

The ROSA technology gives increased accuracy and control to orthopaedic surgeons as they treat musculoskeletal problems including joint, bone and surrounding tissue conditions. 

“This is a wonderful milestone for the hospital and wouldn’t be possible without the support of everyone at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital,” said Dr Richard Verheul, who performed its 2,000th ROSA surgery case in March 2023.

“The theatre nurses and support staff are essential for the safe and efficient use of this technology.”   

Based around 150 kilometres north of Sydney, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital serves the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Port Stephens communities.

In 2021 it also invested in the da Vinci Xi robot system to expand its urology and gynaecology services.