The Wesley Hospital in Queensland has two DaVinci® surgical robotic systems and hosts Australia’s largest robotic program. Over the last eight years, surgeons at the hospital have performed 4,500 robotic surgeries, using a computer to control surgical instruments attached to robotic arms while performing minimally invasive surgery. Robotic surgery enables surgeons to perform precise and delicate procedures with only small incisions and is increasingly being used in urology, gynaecology, colorectal, thoracic, cardiac and gastro-intestinal surgery.

The DaVinci® robot, from Intuitive Surgical Solutions (USA), is a versatile surgical robot system that follows the master-slave operation principle. The robot has found worldwide acceptance in advanced surgery and is reported to have achieved an installation number close to 3,745 (as of June 2016) across more than 2,000 hospitals.

At the Wesley Hospital, nine specialist surgeons perform robotics surgery using the robot, with additional surgeons undertaking training to enable future use.