Western Australian patients will benefit from a $5 million State Government investment into a state-of-the-art robotic system that will be used to treat prostate cancer.
Known as the da Vinci system, the robot will be the first of its kind in a WA public hospital and will bring the State in line with other health jurisdictions which have a similar metropolitan population.
Set to be established at Fiona Stanley Hospital, the da Vinci system will provide urological procedures, focused on robotic-assisted prostatectomies, partial nephrectomies and radical nephrectomies.
It will also allow for 3D vision, magnification capabilities, and enhanced dexterity, so surgeons are able to manipulate and dissect areas where access is challenging or limited with the human hand.
Compared to traditional techniques, the da Vinci system will result in patients having faster recovery, reduced length of stay in hospital, and faster return to normal day activities.
It is also expected to deliver greater efficiencies due to improved surgical outcomes, and a lower likelihood of subsequent treatments.
While the new robotic surgical service will initially provide for patients within the South Metropolitan Health Service catchment, it is expected that the technology will be available for other WA patients where appropriate.