SPONSORED | First successful robotic surgeries celebrated

The da Vinci X is the first-ever surgical robot in the Lowveld and was put to the test at the Busamed Lowveld Private Hospital on June 21 and 22.

It acts as an advanced tool that translates the surgeon’s hand movements into the precise ones of tiny instruments, offering a magnified 3D view of the surgical site.

The procedure performed was a Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy (RALP), which is indicated for patients with localised prostate cancer. This minimally invasive surgery involved the removal of the prostate gland using the da Vinci X robotic system, allowing for enhanced precision, reduced blood loss and quicker recovery.

Dr Jacques Henning, a specialist urologist, performed the surgery alongside two assistants, Dr René Dentan and Dr Michelle Dos Santos, with anaesthetist Dr Hendrik Botha.

The robotic system acts purely as a surgical assistant while Dr Henning remained in full control during the entire procedure.

Mfana Sadick Sithole was the brave patient who underwent the first surgery and his successful recovery reflected both the advanced capabilities of the system and Dr Henning’s experience and expertise. After a three-hour procedure, Sithole reported minimal pain and expressed satisfaction with the overall experience. His early postoperative recovery has been excellent.

This was the first robot-assisted radical prostatectomy performed in Mpumalanga and there were minimal challenges during the operation itself. Most of these were related to the new surgical support team, who were still becoming familiar with the workflow and timing of a robotic procedure. Despite this, the team performed exceptionally well, and the operation proceeded smoothly without any significant issues.

Another robotic-assisted prostatectomy was successfully performed the following day on Deon Jacobs, which also proceeded smoothly. The patient is doing well and he is also extremely happy with how the procedure went.

The Busamed team recently celebrated the launch of the da Vinci X surgical robot at the Capital Hotel in Mbombela, which excited doctors and medical professionals. Dr Henning has performed robotic surgery in Pretoria for six years due to its local unavailability. He introduced the da Vinci X robot to the Lowveld to enable less invasive procedures.

Based on the positive outcomes and growing team experience, the team hopes to begin performing robotic cases on a weekly basis.

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