Robot surgery academy to bolster Parkville biomedical precinct

WITH medical robots increasingly taking over delicate surgery, a new world-leading centre — to be announced today — is set to place Melbourne at the forefront of the new technology. Take a step inside the Australian Medical Robotics Academy.

A ROBOT surgery academy will be built in the Parkville medical precinct to train Australian and international specialists in the revolutionary new medical tools.

With medical robots increasingly taking over some forms of delicate surgery the world-leading centre is intended to place Melbourne at the forefront of the technology while improving the treatment for Australians with conditions, such as prostate cancer.

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The Australian Prostate Centre and the Andrews Government will today announce the Australian Medical Robotics Academy, to train the next generation of surgeons in the same way flight simulation schools prepare pilots.

Medical robots are able to achieve greater precision than human surgeons and are transforming prostate cancer treatment as well as gynaecological procedures and ear, nose and throat surgery.

An artist's impression of the Australian Medical Robotics Academy, to be based in Parkville.

Able to better target cancers, robots can boost patient survival rates, while also lowering the risk of infection, allowing for shorter hospital stays and faster recoveries.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy will today announce $2 million to support the Australian Prostate Centre development, which she said will further enhance Parkville’s biomedical reputation.

“We know that robotics surgery is the way of the future for many procedures, which is why we are doing the work now so that we’re ready to make the most of the technology,” she said. “This cutting-edge facility will usher in a new age of surgery that will change the lives of patients from right around the world.

“The world’s brightest medical minds will travel here from all over the world to learn new skills.”

Macca’s view.

The Australian Medical Robotics Academy will have two virtual reality surgical simulators capable of training specialists in a variety of robots.

Director of the board of the Australian Medical Robotics Academy Mr Daniel Moon said the academy would be linked with a university training program and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Work on the medical robotics academy will begin this year and is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.

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