Presentation by Dr. Abraham Rizkalla, Cardiothoracic Registrar
In March this year, I had the pleasure of attending the International Conference on Robotic Surgery held in Sydney. Being supported by The Baird Institute and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, I was able to present the latest advances in minimally invasive robotic cardiothoracic surgery, focussing on the techniques and nuances of robotic surgery.
I presented two cardiac and two thoracic surgical procedures completed by Professors Tristan Yan and Chris Cao at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, who routinely take advantage of the faster recovery and reduced pain offered by robotic surgery. Each of the four cases were highly engaging, involving removal of a tumour from inside the heart, repairing a leaking heart valve, removing an early lung tumour, and a complex removal of a tumour within the lung airways without having to sacrifice any lung tissue.
The audience found the operative videos fascinating and acknowledged the excellence of the surgeons involved by awarding ‘best presentation’ for the removal of heart tumour. I am deeply grateful for the supporters of The Baird Institute for giving me the opportunity to present this research on one of the frontiers of cardiothoracic surgery.
