Cape Town - Low blood loss, less invasive surgery, faster and better recovery period, were some of the benefits brought on by the use of robotics-assisted surgery at Groote Schuur Hospital.
Groote Schuur Hospital commenced its robotics surgery programme using the da Vinci Xi fourth-generation robot from February 28 to March 2, which were the first robotics prostate surgeries done in the country.
William Waatala, 63, from Gugulethu, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020 and was the first to have had the robotics assisted surgery done at the hospital.
Waatala’s surgery was performed on the Monday and he was swiftly discharged by the Thursday.
“It was so very hard. My right leg was failing to walk. Then I came here and they said the cancer has started. Now I have no pain, nothing. So glad they could do the operation now.”
Owen Appolis, 61, from Mitchells Plain, Tafelsig, was the second person to be operated on using the da Vinci. Appolis had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February last year.
“At the moment, there’s no pain. The operation took place on a Tuesday, they kept me a little bit there because my blood and sugar was a little low and Wednesday late afternoon I started walking, going to the toilet. The following day I did the same until now. I feel great. I am glad that all of us are safe and still walking,” said Appolis.
Isaac John Julies, 52, from Atlantis, had been waiting since May last year for the procedure, making use of a catheter for over a year.
“They told me the list is very long, maybe I will wait three years, and I got scared. They called me and told me they can do the operation soon with the robot and my mind said, ’let's go’.
“It’s like I went for a normal operation. They operated on Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon I came out of the hospital and I walked around in the ward. So it was a very quick recovery.”
Lead robotics co-ordinator, Dr Samkele Salukazana said: “The surgeon takes control of the arms of the robot, so we basically do the movements that are translated to the robotic arms.
“It does whatever movements you’re doing with your hands, it has an excellent range of movement.”
Dr Salukazana added that the vision was improved, reducing the risk of damaging any nerves and other structures, making it easier and safer.
Amid a severe blood shortage and high cost of blood, the surgery also saw significantly reduced blood loss.
“Because you know you can bleed up to two litres when you’re doing the case open, requiring transfusion. None of our patients needed a transfusion from the procedure.”
Groote Schuur urology registrar Dr Mark Wellman said the less invasive surgery saw recovery time cut in half.
“Cosmetically, we have a few more cuts instead of one big cut. Postoperative pain has improved a lot so these patients don't need to necessarily go to ICU postoperatively and they can go back to the general ward - which cuts cost and most of them were discharged only a few days after the operation - whereas with conventional open surgery, they would remain for about four to five days. So the time spent in hospital was really cut in half.
“Our complication rate has seen much improvement especially in terms of the blood loss and infections - none of our patients had any problem with infections postoperatively. They all were discharged the same week as they had the operation.”’