The 30 April surgical workshop for Australia and New Zealand based specialist breast surgeons represented a regional first in surgical education. This new cadaveric workshop in robotic and laparoscopic breast surgery boasted the expertise of internationally recognised experts Dr Antonio Toesca (Italy) and Professor Chi Wei Mok (Singapore).
Dr Toesca and Associate Professor Mok were joined by guest Faculty Member Associate Professor Sanjay Warrier of New South Wales’ Chris O’Brien Lighthouse.
This WA Department of Health supported workshop educated local breast surgeons in techniques at the international forefront in breast surgery – robotic and laparoscopic nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM) with immediate breast implant reconstruction.
The Minimally Invasive Robotic and Laparoscopic Breast Surgery workshop was a pre-Congress activity for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Annual Scientific Congress hosted in Perth from 1-3 May. The fully subscribed workshop provided invaluable world class training for 24 regional Breast Surgeons, together with invited Observers and assistant Theatre Nurses.
It was facilitated at The University of Western Australia in CTEC’s state-of-the-art large scale surgical training laboratory (the Hill Surgical Workshop). Participating surgeons had the opportunity to hone skills or observe techniques utilising the da Vinci SP robotic surgical system and high definition Karl Storz laparoscopic stack systems.
CTEC Director and Head of UWA’s Division of Surgery Professor Jeffrey Hamdorf said this surgical advance provided female patients with several significant advantages including improved oncological safety, enhanced surgical precision, reduced complications and a faster recovery time compared to established open breast surgery techniques.
“This surgical approach provides superior aesthetic results. It is performed through a small incision in the axilla leaving the breast surface free of scars,” said Professor Hamdorf.
“The robotic approach enables a superior visualisation of blood vessels, significantly reducing the risk of complications such as nipple necrosis. The minimally invasive aspect of the surgery also leads to shorter hospital stays and less post-operative pain and discomfort.
“CTEC is proud to play a pivotal role in offering this world class surgical education opportunity to Breast Surgeons in our region, embracing the opportunity to yield substantial benefits to patients.”
Workshop Co-Convenor, Perth Breast Surgeon Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor Saud Hamza said that the workshop, two years in the making, marked an exciting new horizon in breast surgery.
“The techniques demonstrated and performed in this CTEC workshop represented the latest global advances in risk reduction mastectomy for women,” said Associate Professor Hamza.
Associate Professor Hamza worked alongside the CTEC team and his Co-Convenor and Head of the Fiona Stanley Hospital Department of Breast Surgery Dr Wei Ling Ooi to develop the innovative workshop.
“I am deeply grateful to our expert guest faculty, my colleague Dr Wei Ling Ooi, the WA Department of Health, the dedicated CTEC team, the team at the RACS ASC and our industry partners Device Technologies, Applied Medical, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Storz, Endomag, GRC and Surgirack,” said Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor Hamza.
“Together we are working together to usher in a new era of breast minimally invasive surgery in the ANZ region.”
Enquiries:
Professor Jeffrey Hamdorf
CTEC Director
Head of the Division of Surgery
The University of Western Australia
Phone: (08) 6488 8044
Email: admin-ctec@uwa.edu.au
Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor Saud Hamza - Curtin Medical School
Consultant Breast and General Surgeon
Breast Assessment Centre
Fiona Stanley Hospital
Phone: (08) 6152 2222
Email: Saud.Hamza@health.wa.gov.au