HCCI introduces new robot to assist surgeons

(CNS): Health City Cayman Islands has begun using robots to help with laparoscopic procedures using the da Vinci X surgical system. The first robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery in the Cayman Islands took place last month through a partnership between the East End hospital and local healthcare provider OceanMed.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr David Stone from OceanMed will be using this robotic system to perform a wide variety of minimally invasive gynaecological surgeries, alongside Health City specialists, gynaecologist Dr Pooja Monteiro and anesthesiologist Dr Susan Paul.

“We recognise there needs to be a collaborative approach to healthcare delivery to provide the best clinical options for patients,” said HCCI Clinical Director Dr Binoy Chattuparambil. “Dr Stone and OceanMed are the ideal partners to work with to expand the option of gynaecological surgical options for our patients because of their track record of excellence.”

Dr Stone said that the robot can assist in performing resection of endometriosis, myomectomies (also known as uterine fibroid removal), pelvic organ prolapse repairs, and hysterectomies through incisions smaller than the width of a finger.

“Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgeries reduce the potential for bleeding, lower the risk of infection, decrease the risk of injury to other tissue organs, reduce postoperative pain and result in shorter recovery times when compared to open surgeries,” he said. “After having performed, proctored, and assisted in hundreds of robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgeries in the United States, I am truly grateful to have that option now here on-island.”

While currently offering the ability to perform these exclusive styles of minimally invasive gynaecological surgeries, Health City is planning to broaden the scope of robotic-assisted surgery to bariatric and gastrointestinal surgeries, as well as urologic procedures.

“It is important that we continue to find innovative ways to deliver excellent patient outcomes,” said HCCI Chief Business Officer Shomari Scott. “That is why we are investing heavily in these modern technologies and systems, which have the potential to get patients back home to their loved ones faster. We anticipate being able to announce additional specialty areas that will benefit from use of da Vinci surgical system in the near future.”

From cutting-edge surgeries to innovative procedures, Health City has brought many ‘firsts’ to the region, including the first LVAD (an artificial heart pump) and the first CCM, a minimally invasive implantable device that treats patients experiencing symptoms of moderate to severe chronic heart failure in the Caribbean.

HCCI has the only ECMO Centre in the Caribbean, which allows blood to be pumped from outside the patient’s body into an artificial lung that adds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide, which was used during the COVID pandemic. It was also the location of the first surgery to correct Pentalogy of Cantrell heart outside the chest and the first place to undertake arthroscopic Latarjet surgery, a unique technique to restore stability to the shoulder joint, not just in the Caribbean but the USA and Canada.

Health City has begun construction on a new US$100 million specialty hospital in Camana Bay that will feature a specialized Cancer Care Centre, a neonatal intensive care unit, an emergency pavilion and critical care unit, and a multispecialty programme that expands robotic surgery options.

The new radiotherapy centre aspect of the project is scheduled to open in late 2022 and the complete hospital a year later.