An eight-year-old boy from Charters Towers has become the first child in Queensland to undergo robotic-assisted surgery.
Kruze Bott was discharged from Mater Private Hospital Townsville less than 24 hours after he underwent minimally-invasive surgery to correct a kidney condition.
He was treated thanks to a ground-breaking partnership between Mater and Townsville University Hospital, which doctors hope will lead to Townsville becoming Australia’s leading centre for robotic paediatric surgery.
The procedure was performed using Mater’s $3.3m da Vinci XI surgical system, which provides surgeons with an advanced set of keyhole surgical instruments.
Using highly magnified, 3D high-definition views of the surgical area, surgeons are able to perform complex procedures through small incisions.
The robotic-assisted pyeloplasty was performed by paediatric surgeon and urologist Dr Janani Krishnan, with the support of Cairns urologist Dr Stefan Antoniou.
“While paediatric robotic surgeries are being performed in large numbers around the world, they have not been performed widely in Australia until now,” Dr Krishnan said.
“This procedure a game-changer for paediatric surgery in our state. Kruze has made a great recovery from his complex surgery and he will be the first of many young Queenslanders to benefit from robotic-assisted surgery.”
Kruze’s mother, Jade, said her son had suffered weeks of abdominal pain before he was diagnosed as suffering from two ureteropelvic junction obstructions, which meant urine could not flow from his kidney to his bladder. Without intervention, these obstructions can lead to urinary tract infections and irreversible kidney damage.
“Kruze was coming home from school complaining about belly pain, so we went to our family GP and, when an ultrasound was performed, one of his kidneys was almost double the size of the other,” Ms Bott said.
“From there we were referred to Dr Krishnan and everything happened so quickly.
“Kruze was originally expected to have open surgery, which would have left him with a foot-long scar and would have meant he had a long recovery period.
“Then Dr Krishnan phoned and said that robotic-assisted surgery may be an option, which would be minimally invasive and mean a much shorter hospital stay
“After the operation, Kruze was up and out of hospital the next day – and a couple of days later you couldn’t even tell he’d had surgery at all.”
Townsville University Hospital Director of Paediatric Surgery Dr Harry Stalewski said the procedure marked an important milestone for robotic surgery in Australia.
“Within a few years, robotic surgeries will be the mainstay of major surgery in Australian paediatrics,” Dr Stalewski said.
“Having access to a robot in Townsville means we can lead the rest of Australia in paediatric robotic surgery and the training of specialists in this field.
“We had junior doctors in the room to observe this surgery and we’re excited to see how we can continue to expand the knowledge of our local specialists and attract new ones to the region.”
Mater Foundation purchased the da Vinci system in 2021 with funds donated by Queenslanders.
A partnership between Mater and Townsville University Hospital has allowed almost 1,000 public and private adult patients to undergo surgery using the system, but an extensive clinical governance approval process was required before children could undergo robotic surgery.
Dr Krishnan was accredited following training in paediatric robotic surgery at the University of Chicago.
Mater Private Hospital Townsville General Manager Stephanie Barwick said the close collaboration between Mater and TUH is delivering world-class care for North Queensland patients.
“Townsville has specialists and technology to rival Australia’s capital cities and we hope to bring more expertise and funding to North Queensland in the future,” Ms Barwick said.
Townsville Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Kieran Keyes said Kruze’s surgery was a significant milestone in the partnership between the Townsville HHS and Mater.
“Delivering robotic paediatric surgery for the children of North Queensland is the result of many months of hard work,” Mr Keyes said.
“This achievement showcases how our organisations are working together to deliver world-class healthcare closer to home for north Queenslanders.”
