Wednesday marks the ‘Day of Giving’ fundraiser put on by the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation with an emphasis this year’s on bringing robotic surgery to the Okanagan.
“We are falling behind when it comes to some of the latest technology, ” said Chandel Schmidt, the foundation’s vice-president of philanthropy.
“We need to bring this robotic-assisted surgery to KGH. We have it in Vancouver. They have it on the island now and it’s time we brought it to Kelowna.”
The Da Vinci Robotic Surgery System, nicknamed “Vinni” by the foundation, is one that could be for a variety of surgeries once in operation at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).
“It can be used in thoracic surgery. It can be used in urology, general surgery, ear, nose and throat surgery and cardiovascular surgery,” said Dr. Josh Wiesenthal, the head of KGH’s urology division.
Wiesenthal has been pushing to bring robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) for more than a decade, saying it allows for more precise and less invasive surgeries.
“Surgical robotics is a game-changer,” Wiesenthal said.
RAS involves small instruments, which are inserted into the body. The instruments are connected to a robotic arm, which is controlled by the surgeon.
“Despite what the name suggests, the robot is not actually doing the surgery,” Wiesenthal said. “All the movements that the surgeon does outside the body are mimicked inside the body, and you can change the scale.”
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The scale of the surgeon’s movements can be changed so that the area of the body being worked on can be magnified significantly from what the human eye can see.
“Through high definition, three-dimensional visualization, you can clearly see the anatomy, which allows for more precise surgery,” Wiesenthal said.
“It will be able to turn surgeries that we traditionally did through large incisions and we can now perform them through keyhole incisions, so smaller incisions, so bowel receptions, prostate removals, removing portions of the kidney, removing lobes of the lung — those can all be now performed robotically.”
Wiesenthal said that there are huge benefits to patients undergoing surgeries utilizing robotic equipment.
” You get faster recovery, less pain for patients, quicker discharge at a hospital, and quicker recovery and back to life,” Wiesenthal said.
But patient benefits aren’t the only positives. Wiesenthal said the befits extend to the community at large.
“We’re able to attract world class physicians that have the expertise in the robotic technology, and it’s a win for the health care system because we do allow for higher throughput of patients through quicker discharge out of hospital,” Wiesenthal said.
RAS is part of the KGH Foundation’s current Closer To Home Than You Think campaign.
The price tag to bring RAS to KGH is pegged at $12 million Half is coming from government funds, but the other $6 million is being funded through donations.
The foundation is hoping to boost the donations on Wednesday.
Volunteers will be out in full force on Pandosy Street outside of KGH on Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. collecting donations towards the campaign.
Donations can also be made online on the KGH Foundation website.
The foundation making a plea for donations to be made during Wednesday’s Day of Giving because it says the money will be generously matched.
“We have a group of families that have come together and are committing $500,000 in matching funds, so every dollar donated up till midnight tomorrow night will be matched dollar for dollar, so doubling the impact,” Schmidt said.
“Everything that comes in on Day of Giving will help bring that robot here to KGH.”
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