HAMILTON, ON, April 15, 2014 /CNW/ - Today at 10:00 a.m. the Boris Family announced a new $5 million gift to help St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton take the da Vinci Si Surgical Robotic System where no St. Joe's Robot has gone before…into the head, neck, kidneys and lungs of surgical patients.
Hamilton resident and ArcelorMittal Dofasco retiree Mr. Waldemar Lesniak was one of the first patients to have his early stage lung cancer removed using the da Vinci system manipulated by the expert hands of Dr. Yaron Shargall, Head of Service, Thoracic Surgery and Dr. Waël Hanna, Thoracic Surgeon. St. Joseph's is only the second hospital in Canada to perform a lung cancer surgery using the robot.
About his experience Mr. Lesniak says, "I believe that behind every successful robotic surgery is a very talented surgeon. Dr. Hanna told me that the robotic surgery program in thoracics was new but that I was an excellent candidate for it, so I said 'let's give it a go.' I knew that under Dr. Hanna's care and with god on my side, I was in very good hands indeed." Mr. Lesniak's incredible robotic surgery experience is chronicled in a short video viewable here.
"The outcomes we are seeing in our robotic surgery patients are incredible," says Dr. Anthony Adili, Chief of Surgery. "Patients just like Mr. Lesniak are going home within days of their procedure, often with little to no pain medication required. We're also seeing a trend in reduced need for blood transfusions and fewer complications post-surgery…so clearly we're excited about the opportunity to bring similar outcomes to even more patients thanks in large part to the Boris Family's generosity."
In 2011 the Boris Family (founders of Mountain Cablevision) made a $5 million gift to help St. Joe's become one of only three Hospitals in Canada to acquire the world's most advanced dual-console surgical robot. To date surgeons at St. Joe's have performed over 240 robotic-assisted surgeries. The vast majority were prostatectomies for men living with prostate cancer, and more recently partial nephrectomies (kidney removals) have also been done robotically. Thanks to this new $5 million gift, the Hospital now has the funding it needs to expand robotic surgery to patients undergoing procedures of the head, neck, and thoracic (chest) areas.
"We've been so impressed with the way the robotic surgery program at St. Joe's has evolved over the past two years. The impact on patient care is everything our family hoped it would be. We want even more patients to have the chance to benefit from this incredible technology that is in the hands of some of the most skilled surgeons in the world, right here in Hamilton…right here at St. Joe's," said Les Boris and his sister Jackie Work.
Hospital President Dr. David Higgins concluded the media event and gift celebration by announcing that in recognition of the Boris Family's investment in robotic surgery, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton will now be home to The Boris Family Centre for Robotic Surgery.
Video with caption: "Video chronicles the 48-hour journey of robotic surgery patient Mr. Waldemar Lesniak. Mr. Lesniak had 1/3 of his lung and a cancerous tumor removed using the da Vinci Si Surgical Robotic System. St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton is only the second hospital in Canada to perform robotic-assisted lung cancer surgery."". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20140415_C9830_VIDEO_EN_39238.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20140415_C9830_PHOTO_EN_39238.jpg&clientName=St%2E%20Joseph%27s%20Healthcare%20Foundation&caption=Video%20chronicles%20the%2048%2Dhour%20journey%20of%20robotic%20surgery%20patient%20Mr%2E%0D%0AWaldemar%20Lesniak%2E%20%20Mr%2E%20Lesniak%20had%201%2F3%20of%20his%20lung%20and%20a%20cancerous%20tumor%20removed%20using%20the%20da%20Vinci%20Si%20Surgical%20Robotic%20System%2E%20%20St%2E%20Joseph%27s%20Healthcare%20Hamilton%20is%20only%20the%20second%20hospital%20in%20Canada%20to%0D%0Aperform%20robotic%2Dassisted%20lung%20cancer%20surgery%2E%22&title=ST%2E%20JOSEPH%27S%20HEALTHCARE%20FOUNDATION%20%2D%20%245%20Million%20Boris%20Family%20Gift%20Takes%20Robotic%20Surgery%20at%20St%2E%20Joe%27s%20to%20New%20Frontiers&headline=%245%20Million%20Boris%20Family%20Gift%20Takes%20Robotic%20Surgery%20at%20St%2E%20Joe%27s%20to%20New%20Frontiers
Image with caption: "Logo for St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton & the new Boris Family Centre for Robotic Surgery (CNW Group/St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140415_C9830_PHOTO_EN_39236.jpg
Image with caption: "Image of the da Vinci Si Surgical Robotic System (CNW Group/St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140415_C9830_PHOTO_EN_39237.jpg
SOURCE: St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation
MEDIA CONTACT: Carrie Trembinski
Director, Marketing & Communications
St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation
905.379.3509 or [email protected]
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