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The Ramsay Way - Winter 2017

HOSPITAL NEWS Prof Felix Chan, Prof Manish Patel and Prof Howard Lau. 10 The Ramsay Way 2017 | 02 Visualisation Technology Improves Patient Outcomes St George Private Hospital in Kogarah is the first private hospital in Australia to offer PINPOINT Imaging Technology which enables surgeons to go beyond the visual boundaries of the human eye during cancer surgery leading to overall improved outcomes for patients with uterine or cervical cancer. The new NOVADAQ PINPOINT Endoscopic Fluorescence Imaging system provides the latest in high definition imaging, resulting in brighter and clearer inter-operative images enabling surgeons to visualise the quality of perfusion in the tissue affected by the disease. It works by the fluorescent imaging agent, which is injected into the cervix under general anaesthetic, binding to protein in the blood providing surgeons with the ability to visualise blood flow in vessels, see tissue and organ perfusions, lymphatics and perfusions associated with cancerous tumours. Study results of 227 patients found a 95% overall detection rate of sentinel lymph nodes for uterine and cervical malignancies during keyhole surgery, using indocyanine green and infrared fluorescent imaging (Jewell et al, Journal of Gynecological Oncology, 2014). Surgeons can make realtime critical decisions, reducing the chance of expensive PATIENT JOURNEY ENHANCED THROUGH NEW ONLINE PROGRAM In keeping with Hollywood Private Hospital’s continued focus on enhancing the patient experience, a new web-based patient program is now being trialled. A team of health professionals including nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians and pain specialists can now create individual care programs for patients who can access the information at any time using iPads, smart phones or computer devices. Care programs can be updated and personalised according to a patient’s needs and contain information such as videos, forms and activities related to their surgery. In addition, the online platform has the ability to allow health professionals to deliver coordinated care that informs and engages patients and their care partners. As part of the initial trial process, 50 patients undergoing hip replacement surgery at Hollywood will be provided access to an online care program, which has been customised to their situation. Director of Clinical Services, Karen Gullick, said “We expect the program will become a highly valued tool for our patients, enabling them to have greater involvement in their own care as well as reducing their anxiety by having a rich source of written information and video content at their fingertips.” “Another very special aspect of this online platform is that our own employees have made the videos and patients get to ‘meet them’ before they come to Hollywood.” To monitor the effectiveness of the program, Hollywood’s Research Nurse, Rosemary Saunders, will closely monitor the trial’s participants, their engagement with the program, and the patient outcomes. WESTMEAD PRIVATE LEADING THE WAY IN ROBOTIC SURGERY In June Westmead Private Hospital celebrated its 1000 robotic case. The hospital has celebrated many “firsts” since commencing robotic surgery in 2013 including: • Australia's first partial nephrectomy using state-of-the-art robotic technology with firefly imaging – Dr Howard Lau (Urologist) • First hospital in the Southern Hemisphere to perform a robotic single site hysterectomy using the da Vinci Surgical System - Dr Felix Chan (Gynacologist) • Australia’s first single site robotic assisted Sacrocoplopexy for pelvic floor prolapse - Dr Felix Chan (Gynaecologist) • Australia's first totally robotic transanal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of a sessile polyp today – Dr Gary McKay (Colorectal Surgeon) • Australia’s second kidney autotransplant - Prof Howard Lau and his transplant team • First lumber fusion in the Southern Hemisphere – Dr Gordon Dandie (Neurosurgeon) The program will allow patients to access information before, during and after their hospital stay. complications occurring. St George Private Hospital was delighted was the first private facility in Australia to offer the technology and Gynae-Oncologist Dr Gregory Robertson was the first specialist to utilise this technology. “This imaging system provides the ability to detect the overall spread of the cancer to the lymph glands where the risk at times may be seen as low. It provides a more accurate tissue diagnosis and therefore allows us to better refine the management plan for these cancer patients,” said Dr Robertson. “Having access to this sort of technology is critical to patient outcomes. Because we have the sentinel lymph glands to demonstrate whether the cancer has spread the management plan can be adjusted accordingly. This also avoids the risk of developing swelling of the legs (lymphoedema) which can be a debilitating lifelong result of taking all the pelvic lymph glands.” Around 40 gynaecological surgical cases in NSW have utilised this system and it has been demonstrated as beneficial for a variety of other surgical applications including colon resections and laparoscopic esophagostomies and cholecystectomies.


The Ramsay Way - Winter 2017
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