Epworth robot surgery offer
EPWORTH Geelong will soon receive a brand-new, state-of-the-art surgical robot, credited with reducing postoperative pain, the risk of infection and fast-tracking recovery times for urology patients.
The Waurn Ponds private hospital expects to receive the multimillion-dollar da Vinci surgical robot by the end of June, just days after Geelong Private loses its da Vinci robot, which had been accessed by the public health system through a Barwon Health partnership.
Barwon Health this week revealed the robot would not be available to public patients after the private hospital’s June closure.
Yesterday Epworth Geelong chief executive Damian Armour opened the door to striking a new partnership with Barwon Health to use the new machine.
“Barwon Health has been made aware of the fact that by the end of June we should have a da Vinci robot on site here at Epworth Geelong,” Mr Armour said.
“It’s now up to them to see whether they want to proceed with providing the opportunity for public patients to continue to get access here at Epworth Geelong.”
Barwon Health didn’t give anything away yesterday, referring to a statement from a spokesman for Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy.
“We’re taking steps to ensure patients who stand to benefit from this type of procedure can still access it when they need it,” the spokesman said.
Public patients who had accessed the da Vinci surgical robot through Barwon Health for prostatectomies are set to return to the standard opensurgery method.
University Hospital Geelong director of urological surgery Richard Grills spruiked the improved surgical accuracy that would come with the robot in March last year, when announcing the partnership.
“This device enables a significantly greater degree of surgical precision than the human hand,” Mr Grills said. “It’s a much less complicated experience for the patient compared to a traditional open urological surgery.
“It allows patients to return to work after two or three weeks instead of six weeks, and discharge from hospital within two days.
“Post-operative pain is significantly less and there is less risk of infection and blood transfusion.”