Finance Minister Michael Noonan has officially opened a state of the art high tech minimally invasive colorectal theatre at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.
The Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust spent a six-figure sum equipping the fully Integrated Stryker iSuite Theatre which is the first voice activated integrated operating theatre of its type in Ireland.
The Development Trust, established in 1986, has spent over €17 million in the development of hospital facilities and the purchase of medical equipment for hospitals in the region.
The new theatre will facilitate the practice of laparoscopic colorectal surgery which allows colon cancer to be removed using very small “keyhole” type incisions. It results in significantly less trauma for the patients and consequently patients with other major conditions who in the past may have been turned down for surgery can now receive curative treatment. It also has the advantage of allowing patients to recover more quickly allowing them to commence their adjuvant treatment earlier and avoid entering the Intensive Care after their operation.
The development of a fully integrated theatre iSuite will allow surgeons perform this type of surgery on all colorectal patients in the Mid-West Region. It will also improve outcomes and reduce morbidity.
The i Suite will enable broadcasting and video conferencing to anywhere in the world using Stryker’s Switch Point Infinity System.
