Victoria advances equity of access to robot-assisted surgery for public patients

MedTech & Diagnostics News: Robot-assisted surgery, although commonplace in private hospitals, has been less accessible in public healthcare institutions primarily due to government funding constraints. However, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne aims to reduce the inequity of access to minimally-invasive surgery for public patients with the arrival of the da Vinci robot.

There are 162 robotic platforms used for surgery across Australia and New Zealand (May 2023 data). However, a notable divide exists in access to robot-assisted surgery, with the majority of these platforms concentrated in private hospitals. Specifically, 136 of these cutting-edge platforms are situated within private hospitals, while only 26 are found in public hospitals.

Back in 2003, Epworth Hospital in Melbourne made history by introducing the first da Vinci surgical robot in the ANZ region, signalling a leap in robotic-assisted surgery in urology.

“I had seen a prototype of robotics in the US, developed by a start-up company at Stanford University,” said Professor Tony Costello, pioneering urologist in Australian robotic surgery and the Director and CEO of the International Medical Robotics Academy (IMRA).

“The US Department of Defence and NASA collaborated to build a robot that would digitise a surgeon’s hand movements inside a body, through small ports. I was just blown away by the technology.”

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne’s (SVHM) urologist, Associate Professor Lih-Ming Wong, conducted the first surgery utilising the da Vinci robot in January 2024 following an extensive setup and training process. The adoption of the technology will initially focus on urology surgeries, with plans to expand its utilisation across other specialties in the coming months.

“This state-of-the-art equipment is an exciting advancement for our patients and our staff,” expressed A/Professor Wong. “We’re proud to be providing surgical training, that includes robotics, for the next generation of St Vincent’s surgeons.”

Nikki Dennis, SVHM’s Perioperative Services Manager, hailed the introduction of the da Vinci robot as a monumental milestone for her team, stating, “We are very excited to have the new da Vinci robot, to provide even better care for our patients and enhance our reputation as a leading provider of tertiary surgical care.”

While Intuitive’s da Vinci robotic platforms, distributed locally by Device Technologies, has long dominated the robotic surgery landscape, the emergence of several new systems signals a shift in the field. The competition is expected to drive innovation, with cost and health economics playing pivotal roles in determining the success of these new platforms.

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