Tallaght Hospital completes first robot assisted surgery

Tallaght Hospital recently completed their first robot assisted surgery and afterwards thanked their generous donors for making it happen.

The hospital say the operation was possible thanks to a €2m investment by Tallaght University Hospital Foundation.

The patient has been successfully discharged home.

The newly delivered da Vinci Surgical System enables surgeons to perform complex minimally invasive surgical procedures with precision and accuracy.

Christened ‘Leona’ by staff, the robot allows surgeons to operate at high levels of precision without ever touching their patients.

It will mean smaller incisions, less pain, reduced blood loss and a quicker recovery time for the patient.

The first successfully completed surgery happened last week, a Radical Prostatectomy performed by robotically trained Consultant Urologist Mr Arun Thomas.

During the surgery the surgeon sits at a console next to the patient and operates through small incisions using tine, wristed instruments.

‘Leona’ provides the surgeon operating an advance set of instruments to use, she translates the surgeon’s hand movements at a console in real time, bending and rotating the instruments while performing the surgery.

The tiny wristed instruments move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion.

Leona provides a highly magnified, 3D high-definition view of the surgical area.

The size of the instruments used makes it possible for surgeons to operate through one or a few small incisions.

Leona also provides a camera for viewing the surgical area in magnified, high definition 3D, in traditional open surgeries surgeons would stand and look at a screen for greater detail of what they were doing.

Commenting on the surgery Prof Paul Ridgway, Consultant Surgeon and Perioperative Clinical Director at TUH said:

“Completing the first robotic assisted surgeries at TUH this week is a significant milestone in our continuous efforts to push the boundaries of the provision of healthcare to our patients.

“We are fortunate at TUH to have several robotically trained surgeons and nurses on staff so we were able to get Leona working almost immediately on her arrival.

“Leona’s arrival is a major step forward in driving innovation at TUH and providing our patients with cutting edge technology to ensure the best outcomes from their surgery.”

Douglas Collins, Chief Executive of Tallaght University Hospital Foundation commented:

“Thanks to our generous donors and the support of our partners in Bartra Capital Group and Philip Lee, Tallaght University Hospital Foundation is proud to have delivered this innovative robotic programme known as da Vinci Surgical System for the benefit of TUH and its patients that brings TUH in line with leading hospitals internationally.

“Thanks to the generosity of donors, TUH are now be able to offer an alternative option to open surgery and perform complex minimally invasive surgical procedures with precision and accuracy to over 200 patients annually, making a significant difference on how TUH will deliver excellent patient care.

“We are thrilled to be in a position to invest €2m in this state-of-the-art medical technology that assures better patient outcomes and enhanced efficiency.

“A massive thank you to all our donors and supporters that continue to back our vision to radically improve the quality of care through healthcare investment.”