2007 Archive

New surgeon arrives in town complete with four arms

Dr. Mike Hobart, a urologist at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, will be one of the first Capital Health surgeons using the surgical robot on patients this fall

Robot to assist surgeons, starting with urology procedures

A new surgeon in the city is creating a bit of a stir in the operating room at Capital Health's Royal Alexandra Hospital. Standing approximately five and half feet tall and weighing in at over 2,300 pounds, this new surgeon comes equipped with four arms. That's right four arms – it's the region's first surgical robot.

"This is the latest and most technologically advanced surgical tool available today," says Dr. Mike Hobart, a urologist at the Royal Alex who will be one of the first surgeons in the region trained to use the robot. "We're the first site in Alberta and one of only four in Canada to have this robot. The robot, along with our expertise in minimally invasive surgery (MIS), gives us a great opportunity to establish Capital Health as a leader in the use of MIS, including robotics."

The robot – a large piece of equipment that resembles an octopus but with four arms – is a programmable machine operated by surgeons using computer-based technology. The system allows robot-assisted surgery to be performed which enables:

• 3D video imaging
• magnified, high resolution images of the surgical field
• intuitive movement to operate accurately in small spaces
• improved ergonomics for surgeons
• less movement of instruments being used in the operation because of the robot.

Dr. Hobart says the robot also allows for more precise surgery in difficult areas where there is limited space in the body. "Robots really are the way of the future for surgery and this new addition will allow us to take technology and patient care to the next level," he notes.

Initially, and once surgeons and staff are fully trained, the robot will be used primarily in urology procedures such as radical prostatectomies – a surgery where the prostate gland and some surrounding tissue is removed – to treat prostate cancer. Expectations are that eventually use of this new member of the surgery team will extend into gynecology, thoracic, cardiac and general surgery.

The Royal Alex's urology team is experienced in the use of MIS or laparoscopic surgery to do radical prostatectomies. These operations are performed by making small incisions and inserting a camera in one incision and small thin surgical instruments in the others.
 
Dr. Hobart and the Royal Alex's team have done more than 400 laparascopic radical nephrectomies (for kidney cancer) and more than 1,000 radical prostatectomies (for prostate cancer). MIS is less invasive than traditional open surgery and helps patients heal faster, lose less blood, experience less pain and get back to productive lives sooner.

Capital Health and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation – thanks to a donation from the The Stollery Charitable Foundation and another from Jack Ondrack – have provided the $4 million to purchase the robot and surgical instruments and make the necessary renovations to an operating room at the Royal Alex.

Foundation President Andrew Otway says his group is excited about the opportunities that this new purchase represents for the Royal Alex and patients.

"We are very fortunate to be on the leading edge of so many areas of health care and research in Alberta and this newest acquisition keeps the Royal Alex and Capital Health at the forefront of the surgery world," he says. "We thank both The Stollery Family Charitable Foundation and Jack for their vision, support and generosity to help us continue to enhance the care for people right across central and northern Alberta and Canada's North."

• News Release