Mark Jenkins was the first patient to undergo neobladder robotic surgery at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.
Truck driver Mark Jenkins was the subject of the 19-hour procedure, which was done using a da Vinci robotic system.
Mark’s cancer of the bladder demanded the trickiest of operations. His surgeon, Dr Scott Leslie, had to separate his old bladder from the tangle of nerves, blood vessels and the prostate gland before
removing it.
A new bladder, known as a neobladder, was then made. A neobladder is typically made from 50-60cm of a patients’ small intestine, but in some cases, a surgeon may use the large intestine.
Remarkably, the da Vinci robot performed the entire surgery, even making the new bladder, inside Mark’s body using four tiny keyholes in his abdomen.
Watch Channel 7’s Today Tonight’s full story below.
Source: Australian Private Hospital Association | PH NEWS.