Contact: Mark Shainblum
mshainblum@jgh.mcgill.ca
514-340-8222 x6592
Jewish General Hospital 

Robotic surgery of 'tremendous benefit' to patients, say JGH researchers

Virtually eliminates need for narcotic painkillers, cuts hospital stays

This press release is available in French.

Robot-assisted surgery dramatically improves outcomes in patients with uterine, endometrial, and cervical cancer, said researchers at the Jewish General Hospital's Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research in Montreal. Moreover, because of fewer post-operative complications and shorter hospital stays, robotic procedures also cost less.

These results were published in late 2010 in a series of studies in The Journal of Robotic Surgery and The International Journal of Gynecological Cancer.

To date, adoption of robotic surgery has been slowed by fears that it will raise overall healthcare costs. In Canada, robotic procedures are not yet covered by any provincial healthcare plan.

"To the contrary, robotic surgery definitely benefits patients and society," said Dr. Walter H. Gotlieb, Head of Gynecologic Oncology at the JGH Segal Cancer Centre. "Patient quality of life is dramatically improved, their hospital stays are much shorter and they use far less narcotic pain medication. The majority of our patients need nothing stronger than Tylenol."

In a robot-assisted operating room, the physician sits at a computer console and manipulates multiple robot arms, rather than working directly on the patient. The technology was developed to overcome the limitations of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), including such notoriously difficult procedures as laparoscopy for cancer.

"Laparoscopy is the gold standard of treatment for endometrial cancer, but unfortunately the learning curve is too steep for most surgeons," said Dr. Gotlieb, also Director of Surgical Oncology at McGill University. "A recent U.S. study said that only about six percent of gynecologic oncology surgeons offer laparoscopy to most of their endometrial cancer patients, despite its well-established advantages."

"At the Jewish General Hospital, we went from only 15 percent of our endometrial cancer patients benefiting from MIS by laparoscopy to 95 percent using robotic surgery. In cervical cancer we did not perform MIS at all before, whereas now all of our patients benefit from it."

Moreover, contrary to Isaac Asimov and other 20th-century science fiction writers, who predicted that people would react to robots with fear and loathing, patients – even elderly patients– are the most enthusiastic boosters of robotic surgery.

In a letter addressed to the hospital's director of professional services, one patient with a very complex case of endometrial cancer heaped praise on her "surgeon and his robot" and called the device a "marvel."

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About the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at the Jewish General Hospital

The Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI), located in Montreal, Quebec, is the research arm at the Jewish General Hospital, and has strong academic ties to McGill University. With over 150 affiliated researchers, the LDI is one of the largest and most important biomedical research institutes in Quebec and all of Canada. Major breakthroughs have been made by LDI researchers in the areas of HIV/ AIDS, aging, cancer, vascular disease, epidemiology and psychosocial science, and have thereby contributed to the health and well-being of millions of patients in Montreal, across Quebec and around the world. Website: www.ladydavis.ca

About the Jewish General Hospital

Since 1934, the Jewish General Hospital has been a mainstay of superior medical care for generations of patients of all backgrounds. One of Quebec's largest and busiest acute-care hospitals, the JGH is committed to improving the quality of healthcare for all Quebecers in partnership with the provincial healthcare network. Moreover, The Jewish General Hospital has redoubled its commitment providing patients the best possible care in a clean, safe and human-centered environment. The JGH is able to deliver these pioneering, innovative medical services by strengthening its role as a McGill University teaching hospital, by expanding and upgrading its facilities, and by pursuing cutting-edge research at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research. Website: jgh.ca JGH Musical Video: www.youtube.com/NaNaVideo