Robotic assistance technology used on Queensland boy’s surgery

Advanced medical robotic technology has been used on an eight-year-old North Queensland boy’s surgery, which Mater Private Hospital Townsville claims is a state-first for children.

Dr Janani Krishnan and Charters Towers boy Kruze Bott with the da Vinci Xi surgical assist robot that helped him. Picture: Mater Private Hospital Townsville

Advanced medical robotic technology has been used to assist with an eight-year-old Charters Towers boy’s surgery, which Mater Private Hospital Townsville claims is a state-first for children.

Kruze Bott has been discharged from the hospital within 24 hours after having surgery to repair a kidney condition.

The surgery was completed using Mater’s $3.3m da Vinci XI surgical system which helps surgeons with an advanced set of surgical instruments, and allows surgeons to perform procedures through small incisions with 3D and detailed views of the surgical area, allowing for faster recovery times.

Pediatric surgeon Janani Krishnan performed the surgery alongside Cairns urologist Stefan Antoniou with the technology, which she said was not commonly used in Australia.

She considered the procedure to be a “game-changer” for pediatrics.

“Kruze has made a great recovery from his complex surgery and he will be the first of many young Queenslanders to benefit from robotic-assisted surgery,” Dr Krishnan said.

Dr Janani Krishnan and Kruze Bott with the da Vinci Xi surgical assist robot. Picture: Mater Private Hospital Townsville

There was a partnership between Mater and Townsville University Hospital which allowed almost 1000 patients to use surgery with the da Vinci system in North Queensland, but there needed to be a detailed approval process before children could use the surgery.

Townsville University Hospital Director of Paediatric Surgery Dr Harry Stalewski said he expected robotic surgeries to be regularly used in Australian pediatrics going forward.

“Having access to a robot in Townsville means we can lead the rest of Australia in pediatric robotic surgery and the training of specialists in this field,” he said.

“We had junior doctors in the room to observe this surgery and we’re excited to see how we can continue to expand the knowledge of our local specialists and attract new ones to the region.”

Kruze’s mother Jade said her son had been suffering from abdominal pain for weeks, but it was discovered through a diagnosis that urine could not flow from his kidney to his bladder.

Such obstructions could cause urinary tract infections and kidney damage.

“Kruze was originally expected to have open surgery, which would have left him with a foot-long scar and would have meant he had a long recovery period,” she said.

“Then Dr Krishnan phoned and said that robotic-assisted surgery may be an option, which would be minimally invasive and mean a much shorter hospital stay

“After the operation, Kruze was up and out of hospital the next day – and a couple of days later you couldn’t even tell he’d had surgery at all.”

Originally published as Robotic assistance technology used on Queensland boy’s surgery