Catherine Costello and Kelly Crowley of TUHF are pictured below with CNM Isam Odwan with the dual-console before it was moved into theatre at TUH
Surgeons able to carry out advanced robotic procedures
Surgeons will be able to carry out advanced robotics procedures at Tallaght Hospital as the TUH Foundation funded a second console for the Da Vinci Surgical System.
The advanced robotic platform, which enables surgeons to perform complex minimally invasive surgical procedures with precision and accuracy, was a €2 million investment from TUHF, supported by Bartra, in 2020.
Now, with the help of another generous donor, TUHF has raised an additional €400,000 for a second console to add to the platform.
This important addition is particularly significant for training and learning at the teaching hospital according to Dr Arun Thomas, Consultant Urologist, who carried out the very first procedure in 2020.
“Before, if I were training robotically, I would be scrubbed in at the patient bedside with the trainee using the single console, so to take over we would both have to scrub in and out to go back and forth – now, at the touch of a button, I can take control and guide them,” he explained.
Many of the robotic surgeries carried out in recent years have been on the Urology service, which is particularly well suited to this type of surgery.
The new console means the robotics programme can expand into other disciplines such as General Surgery and Gynaecology, with Adrenal Surgery expected to be brought into the mix in the future.
Surgeries carried out on this system mean smaller incisions, less pain, reduced blood loss and a quicker recovery time for patients, said TUHF, and according to Dr Thomas, this method is becoming the “standard of care for a number of procedures.”
Commenting on the additional technology John Kelly, Interim CEO of TUH said, “The availability of robotic surgery not only advances the patient care we can provide, as a teaching hospital this technology offers significant educational benefits. Surgeons training with us will be better equipped for the future, having the opportunity to use the latest surgery techniques.”
Kelly Crowley, Head of Development at TUHF, said, “TUHF is proud to support the growth of this groundbreaking initiative. A second console for the Da Vinci Surgical System is a welcome addition and opens up many opportunities across all disciplines at Tallaght University Hospital.”
For more information about the Da Vinci Surgical System visit TUHF.
