The introduction of robotic surgery at both St John of God Subiaco and Geelong Hospitals has seen the expansion of minimally-invasive surgery, which can result in shorter stays, less post-operative time and quicker return to normal activities.

The computer-controlled robots allow surgeons to perform highly precise surgical procedures through small keyhole incisions, using the robots arms, while retaining full visualisation of the surgical field.

Robotic-assisted surgical techniques allow highly accurate pre-operative planning, merging the accuracy of computer navigation and the ability to customise position based on the three-dimensional anatomy of each patient.

Terry Dunn, a caregiver who works in the St John of God Health Care IT Project Management Department and is based at St John of God Geelong Hospital, was one of the first patients to receive robotic surgery at the hospital.

The robotic-assisted pyeleoplasty procedure was performed by surgeon, Dr Paul Kearns, who was one of several local urologists to undergo extensive training to learn how best to utilise the technology.

Terry was offered the robotic procedure as an alternative to traditional surgery and was confident in his surgeon and the new technology.

Terry said the recovery time was shorter than he had anticipated and he was up and about within a week of the surgery, experiencing minimal pain. He knew he was given the best advice and was pleased with the results.