Health Sciences Centre Foundation and Province of Manitoba fund high-end minimally invasive surgical equipment
Manitoba’s first surgical robot, Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci Xi, was unveiled today by Health Sciences Centre (HSC) Winnipeg, the HSC Foundation, and the Province of Manitoba. Funded by the HSC Foundation’s Operation Excellence campaign in partnership with the Province of Manitoba, the new, minimally invasive surgical robot supports better patient care and outcomes.
“Innovative technology like this helps us stay on the cutting edge of excellent patient care and allows us to focus our precious front line staff resources where we need them most,” said Minister of Health, Seniors and Long Term Care Uzoma Asagwara. “The robot helps us keep surgeons and nurses in our province and attract new ones, with a promise that here in Manitoba you can expect best-in-class health care resources. We’re happy to partner with the Foundation to continue fixing health care.”
“Acquiring Manitoba’s first surgical robot is a major milestone for patient care,” said Jonathon Lyon, President and CEO, HSC Foundation. “The robot is a shining example of how new technology can help us achieve our goals to end surgical wait times. With the robot, patients will experience less pain, less blood loss, and lower risks of complications. And because patients treated with the robot are typically discharged from the hospital in a day or two, we’ll see better patient flow, a reduced burden on the Emergency Department, and an increase in in-patient bed availability.”
For 33-year-old thoracic patient, An Ji Li, the donor-funded robotic technology turned a frightening diagnosis into a hopeful recovery. After suddenly coughing up blood in December, Li was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent robotic surgery at HSC in February. His tumour was removed with precision, and he was discharged the next day.
“When you hear the word ‘cancer’ everything stops. But knowing I had access to this technology gave me real hope,” said Li. “The robot, the surgical team, the care I received—it all worked together to change what could have been the worst chapter of my life into something I could face with strength and confidence. Because of the robotic surgery, I was able to recover faster and focus on what really matters: getting better and moving forward.”
The da Vinci Xi surgical robot is currently being used across multiple specialties at HSC including thoracic surgery (typically lung and esophageal procedures), gynecologic cancer surgery, and urology.
Surgical robots are operated by specially trained surgeons. The machine has four surgical arms operated by highly sensitive controls. The unit’s high-definition, three-dimensional visualization allows surgeons to achieve remarkable precision and reach parts of the anatomy not easily accessible with traditional hand-held surgical instruments.
“The da Vinci Xi, in essence, extends the capabilities of a surgeon’s hands and a surgeon’s eyes. The robot’s arms move better and with more stability than is possible for human hands; and the enhanced scopes and visualization technology helps us see even the smallest parts of the anatomy with extreme clarity,” said Dr. Edward Buchel, Surgery Site Director, HSC, and Provincial Specialty Lead, Surgery, Shared Health.
Additionally, new medical technologies like the da Vinci Xi surgical robot, are successfully used as recruitment tools at HSC.
“Improving patient care through the dedicated thoracic endoscopy unit and acquiring new technology like the da Vinci robot is what drew me to move to Manitoba and work at HSC,” said Dr. Gilly Akhtar-Danesh, Thoracic Surgeon, HSC Winnipeg. “Physicians want to go to centres with leading-edge equipment that creates an environment focused on excellence in patient care. We want to do our best work, and having these state-of-the-art spaces and technology goes a long way in accomplishing that goal.”
“The robot is a game changer for our patients and our recruitment efforts,” said Dr. Buchel. “We’re grateful for the investments made by the HSC Foundation, the donors to the Operation Excellence campaign, and the Province of Manitoba.”
The HSC Foundation’s Operation Excellence campaign is a bold, multi-year plan to elevate health care in pursuit of HSC Foundation’s vision of delivering tomorrow’s health care, today. Manitobans can learn more about the campaign, its progress, and contribute to improving health care in Manitoba at OperationExcellence.ca.
About the Health Sciences Centre Foundation: The Health Sciences Centre Foundation rallies individual, corporate, and institutional donors in support of HSC Winnipeg—Manitoba’s hospital. By inspiring Manitobans to donate, the HSC Foundation enhances patient care and accelerates innovation at HSC through the acquisition of state-of-the-art technology, the development of new clinical spaces, and the promotion of ground-breaking research. Through specific, timely, and essential investments, the HSC Foundation helps to deliver tomorrow’s health care, today.
