New robotic surgery system in Sask. performs more than 2 dozen surgeries
More than two dozen surgeries have been performed since September using a new robotic surgery system in Saskatoon, the first program of its kind in Saskatchewan.
The da Vinci Surgical System, named “Daryl” in honour of Merlis Belsher’s late son, was funded by the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation capital campaign, which included a $1.1 million gift from the Merlis Belsher family and $1 million from the Government of Saskatchewan.
The program is controlled by the movement of specially-trained surgeons, which is “translated through the machine with precision to perform minimally invasive surgery,” according to a news release from the Government of Saskatchewan.
Procedures using the system so far have included surgery for the removal of the prostate gland, surgery to remove a kidney, surgery to remove a blockage involving the kidney, and surgery to remove the urinary bladder.
"The ability to offer robotic surgeries can help improve healing and recovery times, as well as reduce pain, bleeding and the risk of infection," Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) Provincial Head of Surgery Dr. Ivar Mendez said in the news release. "I am pleased to be integrating this world-class technology in our operating rooms to help Saskatchewan residents."
Plans are underway for the program to expand to other specialties in the future, including gynecology, oncology, and thoracic surgery.
"We are committed to ensuring that Saskatchewan residents have the best health care possible," CEO for SHA Andrew Will said in the release. "The da Vinci Surgical System supports better patient outcomes and a positive health care experience, enabling our surgical teams to perform more procedures."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.