Staff at the Mater Hospital have performed the nations first synchronous robotic liver and colon resection which could save cancer patients.
The surgery removes cancer from the bowel where it has also spread to the liver. It is removed all at once and used a robotic surgery device so that the patient has only tiny scars.
Tamara Gall, HPB surgeon tweeted the news of the medical breakthrough last night.
She said: “Delighted to have performed @Matersurgery ’s first synchronous robotic liver and colon resection this week with @ailsybird . And we think it's the first in Ireland too!
Ailin Rogers, Consultant general and colorectal surgeon Mater Hospital added: “Love being able to offer this synchronous option with @jbconneely and @gall_tamara to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer @matersurgery and a win for the ex- @royalmarsden girls!”
According to the Journal of The Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons, the simultaneous robot assisted colon and liver resections are being performed more frequently due to the expanded adoption of the robotic platform for surgical management of metastatic colon cancer.
Colorectal Cancer is the second most common cancer in men and women in Ireland. Over 2,500 cases are diagnosed each year; 1,500 men and 1,000 women. It accounts for 12.2 percent of all invasive cancers diagnosed and for 11.8 percent of cancer deaths according to the HSE.
The median age at diagnosis is 70-74 years; more than 90 percent are over 50 years at diagnosis. 60 percent of patients are diagnosed at a late stage.
The risk of developing colorectal cancer up to age 74 is five percent in males and three percent in females. The five year survival rate is 62.6 percent..
Twitter users took to the app to hail the new medical resection.
One said: “I am a big fan of every single word of this!! Proud as I am of my gigantic resection scars from two separate surgeries performed by two great men, I absolutely love this progress for others with mCRC in Ireland.”
Another commented: “Had a liver resection 7 years ago. Tough time. Scars to prove it and still causing a little trouble off & on. This advancement is brilliant.”
A third posted: “Congratulations wow! My mum had a liver resection. What important and life saving work. Great to see new advances in treatment.”
And a final person added: “Fantastic female surgical role models.”
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