News
A new edge for minimally invasive surgery at Hollywood Private Hospital
Oct 05, 2022
Hollywood Private Hospital Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon Laurence Webber and his team performed the first robotic ventral hernia repair in WA, using the DaVinci Xi Robot, on Saturday, October 1.
Robotic hernia surgery allows more patients to be treated with a minimally invasive approach, with potential benefits including less pain1, shorter length of hospital stay2 and fewer complications3.
The surgery was a significant milestone for Dr Webber’s team, which featured General Surgeon Dr Josh Salim, Anaesthetist Dr Ted Velzaboer, nursing and anaesthetic staff.
A ventral hernia occurs when abdominal contents (such as the bowel) protrude through a weak point of the abdominal wall. Symptoms include pain and/or a lump in the abdomen.
Hernias occur in both males and females, however they are most common in men. According to Australian statistics, about one man in every 20 will develop a hernia at some point in his life.4
Hollywood was the first hospital in WA to purchase the da Vinci Xi Surgical System. The technology offers advanced robotic, computer and optical capabilities that assist a surgeon with an operation.
Dr Webber regularly undertakes robotic pancreatic surgery and recently performed the first robotic liver resection in WA. He is planning to bring robotic liver and pancreas surgery to Hollywood in the near future.
“The team regularly undertake major urological surgery and is more than capable of expanding this service to include major Upper GI resections and complex abdominal wall procedures,” Dr Webber said.
Hollywood Private Hospital Chief Executive Officer Andrew Tome said staff were proud to support specialists at the forefront of new treatment options.
“Supporting our surgeons to improve their skills and procedures is a priority for Hollywood to help us provide the best possible health outcomes for patients,” Mr Tome said.
1 Lindström Per, Rietz Göran, Everhov Åsa Hallqvist, Sandblom Gabriel. Postoperative Pain After Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair. Frontiers in Surgery Vol 8. 2021. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2021.724026
2 Donkor C, Gonzalez A, Gallas MR, Helbig M, Weinstein C, Rodriguez J. Current perspectives in robotic hernia repair. Robot Surg. 2017 May 5;4:57-67. doi: 10.2147/RSRR.S101809. PMID: 30697564; PMCID: PMC6193421.
3 Qabbani, Amjad, Omar M. Aboumarzouk, Tamer ElBakry, Abdulla Al‐Ansari, and Mohamed S. Elakkad. 2021. “Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair: Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis.” ANZ Journal of Surgery 91 (11): 2277–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/ans.16505.
4 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons – Surgery to Repair Hernai. 2014. Medical Publishing (4). https://www.nbcr.com.au/resources/PINCOTT-hernia.pdf
Dr Laurence Webber and his team at Hollywood Private Hospital performed the first robotic ventral hernia repair in WA.