Australian Surgeons Perform First Robotic Spinal Surgery in Southern Hemisphere

In a Southern Hemisphere first, leading Australian orthopaedic and neurosurgeons have collaborated to perform the first robotic spinal surgery using state-of-the-art technology.
The new technology, Renaissance, is available to patients who require spinal fusion surgery – a procedure performed on around 100 Australians with degenerative or traumatic spinal conditions each week.
Australia’s first Renaissance robotic spinal surgery was conducted at Sydney’s North Shore Private Hospital by Dr Jonathon Ball, a neurosurgeon from Royal North Shore Hospital, and Dr Brian Hsu, a leading Sydney-based orthopaedic spine surgeon.
“The Renaissance robot allows surgeons to perform both simple and technically challenging procedures and deliver unparalleled precision, which in some cases, allows for minimally-invasive surgery. This means, optimal outcomes for patients with less time spent in hospital,” said Dr Ball.
Dr Hsu added, “Surgeons also benefit from the technology, with the ability to deliver the procedure with higher levels of accuracy, and less exposure to harmful radiation compared to traditional surgery.”
Renaissance is transforming spinal surgery from freehand operations to highly-accurate, leading-edge procedures, meaning patients experience less post-operative pain, lower complication rates and faster recovery times.
It allows the surgeons the freedom to pre-operatively plan surgery in a virtual 3D environment and actively guides them during the procedure, allowing for much greater precision than conventional surgeries. The robotic technology has been shown to reduce average length of hospital stay by 27 per cent, reduce patient complications by 48 per cent, improve implant accuracy by 70 per cent and reduce x-ray dosage by 56 per cent.
Australian health data reveals that people with back problems were 1.2 times as likely to report high or very high levels of psychological distress than those without the condition, and 1.7 times as likely to report any mental disorder, such as depression.
“Robotic spinal surgery has the potential to benefit over 5,000 Australian patients every year1, which will significantly improve their overall quality of lives,” said Dr Hsu. “I am particularly excited about using this technology for my patients with complicated spinal problems. These cases are typically more technically challenging and the Renaissance offers improved accuracy, safety and better outcomes for my patients.”
The Renaissance robotic technology, which is supplied to Australia and New Zealand by Life Healthcare, is increasingly being used as a global standard of care. This first installation places Australia at the forefront of robotic surgical technology in line with world front-runners such as the US and Germany