durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, Octover 6, 2022 | | 16 It's called "the single biggest innovation" to Durham's surgical system. The $5.1-million da Vinci surgical robot will make its debut at Lakeridge Health Oshawa in the very near future. The robot, according to Dr. John Dickie, chief of surgery and medical director of surgery at Lakeridge Health, will "lower pain scores for patients, result in shorter lengths of stay, lower complication rates and lower rates of readmission." The da Vinci surgical robot. The da Vinci surgical robot, which was invented over 20 years ago and is common in the United States and Europe but less so in Canadian hospitals, is a first for Durham Region. There are no da Vincis anywhere between Toronto and Kingston, meaning patients who need and want robotic surgery must travel out of the region to get it. The expensive technology is being fundraised by the Lakeridge Health Foundation. It's being led by Bob and Sue Verwey, who are contributing up to $1 million and will match all further donations up to $1 million. But the full amount must be raised to pay off the cost of the machine. So, what is the da Vinci surgical robot? How does it work? And who operates it? 1. WHAT IS THE DA VINCI SURGICAL ROBOT? Dickie said the da Vinci has been around for over two decades. It has four surgical arms and is a portable machine that can be moved around the operating room. It has cameras attached to its arms that allow the surgeon to see in extreme detail what it's doing. Most importantly, the da Vinci's arms, or hands, have much more flexibility of movement and can move in many more degrees of motion than a human hand, Dr. Dickie said. "It makes the surgery much more precise and more versatile." 2. HOW DOES THE SURGERY AND OPERATION WORK? The surgeon sits at a separate console from the da Vinci surgical machine, but close by, in the same operating room. He or she uses a 3D viewer to get better visualization and uses two hand-controllers attached to the robotic arms, said Dickie. "It's all under the control of the surgeon," he said. "The surgeon controls every single movement of the robot using two hand controllers, but the robot smooths out the movement of the surgeon. It makes surgery much more precise and versatile," Dickie added. There will also be nurses near the da Vinci surgical robot to hand it instruments at the direction of the surgeon. 3. HOW DO PATIENTS BENEFIT FROM USING A DA VINCI SURGICAL ROBOT VERSUS USING A TRADITIONAL SURGEON? Dickie said the evidence shows that da Vinci robotic surgery leads to "lower pain scores for patients, shorter lengths of stays, lower complication rates and lower rates of readmission. It's been shown in prostate cancer surgery that it is cost-effective as well. It results in an earlier return to work, with better in-hospital discharge pain scores and well-being scores." Verwey said "a close friend of mine needed an operation and left Durham Region to get it done. He got it done robotically instead of this massive surgery. He was out of the hospital in two days. Recovery was quick, six weeks. It would have been six months recovery and two weeks or three weeks in the hospital (with traditional surgery)." 4. FOR WHAT TYPES OF SURGERY WILL THE DA VINCI SURGICAL ROBOT BE MOSTLY USED? Dickie said the highest volume initially will be urology and prostate cancer surgery. "In general, the vast majority of the planned cases on the robot platform are prostate cancer cases. There is a small subset of non-cancer cases. They include abdominal surgeries, chest operations, lung cancers and gynecologic cancers. It will be used across the organization and in various specialties," he said. It's hoped the da Vinci can be used in up to 400 surgeries a year, and by year five, 1,616 surgeries will have been performed. 5. WHEN WILL THE FIRST SURGERY TAKE PLACE? Dickie said the da Vinci would be arriving on-site at Lakeridge Health Oshawa shortly and that training for nursing staff would begin shortly thereafter. He said the first surgery would occur sometime in the new year, "as soon as possible." A number of surgeons in various specialties are already trained to use the da Vinci surgical robot. "Once the robot's on-site, we will start the training process for the nurses, the other allied health professionals, and the other Operating Room infrastructure," said Dickie. 6. HOW WILL THE DA VINCI SURGICAL ROBOT BENEFIT LAKERIDGE HEALTH? It's not expected the technology will lead to any staff cuts. In fact, Dickie and Verwey believe the surgical robot will attract young surgeons trained to use surgical robots who want to use the latest technology. "This will also allow further recruitment and retention of the kind of health care professionals we want in Durham who has training in this kind of leading-edge technology and are motivated to use it," said Dickie. "It (da Vinci) attracts better surgeons. Newer, updated surgeons all want to use the proper equipment. This technology at Lakeridge Health will attract some of the top people in the field. Some of the surgeons will not even consider coming to Oshawa because we don't have the technology. Now we're on the radar," said Verwey. 7. WHO ARE THE LEAD DONORS, AND HOW CAN YOU HELP? Bob and Sue Verwey, who live in Columbus in north Oshawa, own Owasco/Volkswagen, the RV Store in Clarington, Pickering Volkswagen and an Audi Store in Whitby. The Verweys employ 210 people. Bob Verwey said, "about 15 years ago, when the cancer centre started, we believed in building it with the local car dealers. At that point, people were going to Princess Margaret in Toronto. Since we make our money and live in our town, we should have that surgery in town too. What's really rewarding about this too is when our employees go there, and at one time, we had six employees in the cancer centre. Currently, I have one there. You feel good that you've made this investment, so you want to give back." The Verweys are donating up to $1 million and are matching up to $1 million in donations from public donors. But the da Vinci surgical robot's full cost is $5.1 million, so it will involve more donations from the public. To donate, visit www.ourcancer.ca. DA VINCI SURGICAL ROBOT COMING SOON TO DURHAM TIM KELLY tkelly@durhamregion.com NEWS 'THE SINGLE BIGGEST INNOVATION' IN DURHAM'S SURGICAL SYSTEM COMING VERY SOON: LAKERIDGE HEALTH CHIEF OF SURGERY A surgical nurse helps to reposition the da Vinci's robotic arms during surgery. Da Vinci robotic surgery device donors Sue and Bob Verwey flank Dr. Elena Igwe, gynecologic oncologist and robotic-trained surgeon at Lakeridge Health. The Verweys have donated $1M of the $5.1M that must be raised to pay for the da Vinci robotic surgery device. Intuitive Surgical photo Ryan Walker photo