Robotic surgery program expands to gynaecology
Nepean Hospital is one of the first public hospitals in Australia offering robotic-assisted gynaecological surgery, delivering faster recovery and better outcomes for patients while also training the next generation of surgeons.
Nepean Hospital is one of few public hospitals in the country that offers access to robotic-assisted gynaecological surgery.
The service delivers improved surgical outcomes and faster recoveries for patients undergoing complex procedures.
Professor George Condous and Dr Naman Dahiya oversee the Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgical Training Program in Gynaecology, supervising registrars in the RANZCOG (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) training pathway at Nepean Hospital, which is part of the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District.
“In the public sector, it’s a very new thing to perform gynaecological surgery robotically. We’re only the second or third hospital in Australia doing it.”
Dr Naman Dahiya, Nepean Hospital
Until recently, all robotic surgery for gynaecology, especially for conditions like endometriosis, was uncommon. But at Nepean Hospital, complex surgeries are now performed by multidisciplinary teams using the Da Vinci robotic system.
“We do the more complicated surgeries, including hysterectomies or treating endometriosis, and we are fortunate to work alongside other robotic colorectal and urology surgeons to provide our patients with great outcomes,” says Dr Dahiya.
“Complex surgeries often involve bowel resections or urology procedures at the same time, and the benefits of robotic surgery are significantly greater than traditional laparoscopic surgery — for both the surgeon and the patient."
Patients undergoing robotic surgery at Nepean experience lower post-operative pain and quicker hospital discharges.
“The ports don’t move as much, so patients get less pain at the incisions,” Dr Dahiya explains. “We can also operate at lower gas pressures inside the abdomen, which means less pain afterwards.”
“We’ve noticed that patients having big surgeries, including bowel resections, often go home the next day. For some hysterectomies, they’re even going home the same day.”
Dr Naman Dahiya, Nepean Hospital
Robotic surgery is also ergonomically better for surgeons, reducing fatigue by allowing them to operate while seated in a more comfortable and focused position, which supports long-term surgical performance and well-being.
Training is also a key focus of Nepean’s robotic program. Through a unique dual-console system, fellows are able to perform surgeries while being directly supervised and assisted in real time.
“What normally happens is that registrars finish their training and build up robotic skills over time,” says Dr Dahiya. “Whereas our fellows, when they’re finished, have already got robotic credentialing and can start doing robotic surgery straight away — because they’ve gone through that learning curve over the last two years.”
Dr Caroline Ruth Mathias is a final year fellow with the program who has done all her surgical training through Nepean Hospital. She says the opportunity to train in laparoscopic and robotic surgery side-by-side provides a uniquely well-rounded perspective that leads the way for public sector healthcare.
“If robotic surgery isn’t already the present, it’s definitely the future — and Nepean has really led the way in bringing it into the public sector."
Dr Caroline Ruth Mathias, Nepean Hospital
Living locally in Stanhope Gardens, Caroline long set her sights on the program, drawn by its focus on advanced gynaecology and endometriosis.
“I’ve been looking at this program for the entirety of my training and I feel privileged to be part of it,” says Dr Mathias.
The hospital is fast approaching a significant milestone with 2,000 robotic procedures expected to be completed by the end of the year. Around 60 public gynaecological cases contribute to the count so far, with many more to come.
“As an endometriosis surgeon, when I see patients requiring complex surgery I'm really excited to be able to offer robotic surgery in the public sector,” says Dr Naman Dahiya.
For Naman, the hospital’s culture plays a major role in the success of the program — and in what makes Nepean Hospital unique.
“People here are all about collegiality, the patients, and each other. Everyone works together to improve the hospital. Everyone wants to be here — and that shows in the work.”