DOHA: The Qatar Robotic Surgery Centre (QRSC) delivered its first robotic surgery training. The training, which was concluded over the weekend, was the first robotic surgery training in the region.
This first training marks the operational launch of Qatar Robotic Surgery Centre, which is initiated by Qatar Science & Technology Park and will be officially inaugurated at the end of 2010.
From now on training programmes in robotic and minimally invasive surgery will be organised on a regular basis. Concurrently several collaborative technology development activities in medical robotics will be initiated. With clinical application of robotic surgery well on track in Hamad Hospital, Qatar is clearly well positioned to lead the way in surgical robotics in the near future.
The two sessions from April 8 to 9, which were organised in collaboration with the Gulf Heart Association, were attended by 12 cardiac surgeons from across the GCC.
QRSC will now start writing Qatar's future by collaborating with local partners to transform the country into a hub for robotic surgery. Partnerships with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and most of the Qatar based universities are well underway.
The concept of Qatar Robotic Surgery Centre is unique in the world, as it emphasises on advanced simulation training and cross-fertilisation between its training and technology development activities.
During the training, a mix of educational methodologies was used, including advanced simulation. During hands-on sessions the cardiac surgeons performed coronary artery bypass surgery with a real surgical robot on a beating silicone model of a heart in a simulated operating room. Clever use of advanced simulation methodologies allows training surgeons up to a higher level before their skills are perfected on animals and during proctored cases on real patients.
For the April 8 to 9 sessions, QRSC relied on a unique mix of trainers. Head trainers were Dr Jean-Luc Jansens, a Belgian expert in robotic cardiac surgery, and Dr Abdulwahed Al Mulla.
Dr Jansens has already performed 600 robotic procedures and has helped many heart patients in Europe. He is one of the world's few top experts in Total Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass (TECAB) and Mitral Valve Repairs (MVR).
Dr Al Mulla is vice chairman of Cardiology and Cardio-thoracic Department at HMC and started using robotic cardiac surgery about a year ago in Hamad Hospital. He has since developed significant expertise in robotic bypass surgeries, which he demonstrated during the sessions. Both head trainers were assisted by QRSC's technical training staff--Dr Badereddeen Abulaban and Dr Julien Abi Nahed PhD.
Robotic cardiac surgery is a minimal invasive surgical approach using the robotic daVinci master-slave system. The surgeon is in full control of the surgery, but profits from an advanced 3D view and enhanced precision.
However, the patient benefits the most from a robotic procedure, as he experiences less traumatic injury, post procedural pain and risk and as he recovers faster.
In addition to cardiac surgery, the daVinci robots are used in several surgical areas such as urology, gynaecology, general surgery, and even ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) and more applications are developed as we speak.
© The Peninsula 2010
