Robotic technology paving the way in surgery

When a 58-year-old Sri Lankan national came to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital in 2013, the fate of his health was unclear. Already diagnosed with prostate cancer, the cancerous tissue had continually progressed as prior radiotherapy treatment done at other hospitals failed to eradicate the disease. Singapore was his last shot for a cure and he came wanting to live a full and productive life, free of the debilitating disease.

“While the scans confirmed that the cancer was still curable, it was luckily still confined to the prostate [and] he was also still potent sexually,” says Dr Chin Chong Min, senior consultant urologist at the Urology and Robotic Surgery Centre, Singapore. “Minimally invasive robotic surgery was our best shot.”

“The surgery was performed without complications and the patient was discharged after the third day, catheter was removed after the sixth, and the patient flew home 10 days after the surgery,” says Dr Chin. The patient’s erections came back after six months, and he has remained cured with no signs of relapse, explains Dr Chin.

Robotic-assisted technology the key to success

This success story would not have been possible without the cutting-edge robotic surgery equipment which makes surgery so much safer with reduced bleeding and faster restoration of continence and erections.

“Robotic surgery for prostate cancer makes the whole operation so much more predictable, and for overseas patients, they just have to budget a 10-day stay here for recovery,” he adds.

The hulking $2 million robotic equipment, which mimics the hand movements of the surgeon with an enhanced magnification of 10, including high-definition 3D vision, is aptly named the da Vinci Surgical System.

While Dr Chin has been using robotic surgery techniques since 2001 when the pioneering technology first began to take off, the Sri Lankan national was his first patient to be done on the newer da Vinci robot after it was installed at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital in 2013.  Since then, he has performed over 180 surgeries with the machine, of which with 70-80 percent are for prostate cancer.

He also performs laparoscopic surgery for kidney cancers and hernia repair.

“This machine is superior to conventional laparoscope and Mount Elizabeth Novena is the only private hospital in Singapore to have done so many cases using this technology,” says Dr Chin.

Additional applications of robotic-assisted technology

In line with Singapore’s healthcare sector striving for excellence and innovation, Dr Chin was the first urologist to perform robotic surgery on a 4-centimetre growth on the left adrenal gland of a 50-year-old female patient from Indonesia.

The adrenal gland sits on top of the kidney and releases vital hormones. Twenty years ago, adrenal tumours were removed through open surgery via a 15-20 centimetre long incision on the side of the body. Since 1990’s laparoscopic surgery became popular.

“While this procedure was a huge advancement in medical technology it still has a high complication rate of 7.5 percent,” said Dr Chin. “[Using] the robot lowers the chance of complication to three percent.”

“For the majority of the cases that I have performed with robotic technology, the results have been good with a fast recovery,” he adds, attributing this to the international training and advanced techniques Parkway Hospitals fosters.

Dr Chin Chong Min is a consultant urologist with 17 years of experience. He has a significant surgical expertise in treating urinary cancers such as kidney, bladder and prostate malignancies. He is accredited to carry out robotic and minimally invasive surgery. 

Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital
38 Irrawaddy Road, Singapore 329563
Tel: (65) 6735 5000
www.mountelizabeth.com.sg

Chin Chong Min Urology & Robotic Surgery Centre
38 Irrawaddy Road #09-40
Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre
Singapore 329563
Tel: (65) 6235 1180

PRIMARY PHOTO CREDITS: ©2009 Intuitive Surgical, Inc.