Australian woman undergoes first single incision robotic hysterectomy to reduce her chances of ovarian cancer

Shocked to learn that she was at high risk of getting ovarian cancer, breast cancer survivor Dr Theresa Truong recently made the brave decision to undergo Australia’s first single incision robotic hysterectomy procedure.

Tired from a two year battle with breast cancer, Dr Truong was willing to do whatever it took to avoid ovarian cancer which, whilst not as common as breast cancer, is the sixth most common cancer that Australian women typically die from.

She didn’t think twice before agreeing to undergo what looks to be the way of the future for hysterectomies in Australia, stating her sole focus was on ensuring she had little to no chance of getting the deadly disease.
“I didn't hesitate to have the hysterectomy,” she said. “I would have all of my organs that are at risk of cancer removed if I could to avoid going through cancer treatment again.”

Performed by leading gynaecologist Dr Felix Chan at Sydney’s Westmead Private Hospital, the surgery, conducted using the da Vinci Surgical System, saw Dr Truong’s reproductive organs removed via a single two centimetre incision to the naval.

The procedure went so well that Dr Truong was discharged from hospital just 24 hours after undergoing surgery, with the Camden dentist saying she was blown away by how little pain and scarring there was.
“My friends had all told me to expect to stay in hospital a week and to expect some pain but when I woke from the operation I remember turning to the nurse and asking ‘where’s the pain?’ I’m still waiting for it now, but there’s been none.”  

Approximately 50,000 hysterectomies are performed in Australia each year, with a rising number of women, like Dr Truong, undergoing the procedure to lessen their chances of gynaecological cancers.

The majority are performed using either an open abdominal or laparoscopic approach which involves patients spending on average three to seven days in hospital and taking six to eight weeks to recover. The new single site incision not only appears to aid recovery but is cosmetically more appealing when compared to a conventional hysterectomy approach.

“The first procedure went very smoothly,” said Dr Felix Chan. “The team worked really well together and the patient was stable throughout. We lost only 20 millilitres of blood in comparison to a normal open hysterectomy which usually results in a loss of 300 to 400 millilitres. I most definitely think this technology will be the way of the future both for robotic surgery but also for performing hysterectomies in Australia.”

Dr Chan continued stating the procedure is a far more advanced and efficient form of laparoscopic surgery that significantly reduces operating time for surgeons and recovery time for patients.

“The da Vinci Surgical System involves using an articulated instrument that can go around the corners of the pelvis and underneath tissues and sutures more efficiently and precisely than conventional laparoscopic instruments,” he said. “It takes less time, and causes minimal pain, meaning the patient’s recovery time is significantly shortened. Also, because there’s only a small cut to the abdomen, there’s less chance of infection and minimal bleeding.”

Whilst still relatively new, Westmead Private Hospital has fast made a name for itself as a facility of world leading doctors and advanced surgical procedures.

“Robotic assisted surgery, which is also used extensively in urology and colorectal surgery, is the next phase in the evolution of minimally invasive surgery and healthcare in Australia,” said Tim Daniel, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer. “We believe this positions our facility at the forefront of robotic surgery in Australia.”

As for Dr Truong, she says she would recommend the surgery to any woman considering a hysterectomy and that it’s given her invaluable peace of mind.

“I cannot speak enough about it, it’s fantastic,” she said. “Surgeries are so terrible; you have to endure so much pain and discomfort. But with this surgery, you go straight home. It’s amazing.”  
For more information on Westmead Private Hospital or the da Vinci Surgical System, please visit http://www.westmeadprivate.com.au/.

Media Enquiries: please contact Suzanne Ross on 07 3250 9406 or 0488 441 589 or email s.ross@graymedia.com.au.

Note to Editors:
Dr Theresa Truong is a dentist from Camden in New South Wales. Dr Truong underwent Australia’s first single site robotic hysterectomy on August 30, 2013. She was discharged the following day and has experienced minimal pain and discomfort. Dr Truong only required basic painkillers such as paracetamol and is up and moving at almost normal capacity.

Dr Felix Chan is a leading laparoscopic surgeon, colposcopist, and a gynaecological oncologist based in New South Wales. He is Director of Gynaecological Oncology and Endoscopic Surgery at Liverpool Hospital and is appointed at Westmead Private Hospital. Dr Chan has pioneered many laparoscopic and robotic surgical techniques in Australia and is the first proctor in robotic gynaecological surgery in New South Wales.

The da Vinci Surgical System is a robotic surgical system made by the American company Intuitive Surgical. It is designed to facilitate complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach, and is controlled by a surgeon from a console.

Westmead Private Hospital is a leading healthcare facility in Sydney, New South Wales that was established by Ramsay Health Care in 2000. Westmead Private Hospital specialises in a diverse range of surgical fields but is highly regarded for obstetrics, gynaecology, neurology, cardiology and urology. It was among the first five hospitals in Australia to purchase the da Vinci Surgical System and single site instrumentation.
Interview and picture opportunities are available with all parties quoted in the release.

For more information, please contact Suzanne Ross at Graymedia on the contact details provided above.

Pharmacy bone density tests find 50% of patients at risk of osteoporosis

Nearly 50% of patients who took part in pharmacy brand Discount Drug Stores’ bone density clinics, which ran in over 100 of its pharmacies during August, have been found to be at risk of osteoporosis.

Over 2,000 Australians took part in the clinics, which aimed to better educate customers about osteoporosis, a serious condition that can increase incidences of fractures, potentially resulting in chronic pain, hospitalisations and even premature death.

Discount Drug Stores’ Professional Services Manager, Casey Clark says the brand is proud that its clinics have helped so many people to identify their risk and to take preventative action against bone disease, before it’s too late.

“Bone disease is often referred to as the ‘silent disease’ because it shows no symptoms,” she said. “That’s why regular testing is so important and I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to get through to so many people and to really raise awareness of this debilitating condition that has no cure.”

Discount Drug Stores’ clinics enabled customers to take a simple and quick ultrasonic bone density test and consult with a clinician about their results, personal risk factors and the preventative measures and treatments they should be taking.

In addition, customers were also advised on lifestyle measures they could take to reduce their chance of bone disease with Ms Clark stating this was just as important as physically testing a person’s bone density.

“It wasn’t just about testing a customer’s bone density to see if they had or were at high risk of developing osteoporosis,” she said. “It was also about evaluating lifestyle and diet factors such as if they had low vitamin D levels, low calcium intake, were smokers or were on any medications that may increase risk of osteoporosis.

“This assessment was just as important as the bone density testing itself because it’s here where people can take real preventative action against the disease and where we can help them to make positive lifestyle changes before it’s too late.”

A debilitating condition that can result in a loss of functionality and independence, osteoporosis predominantly affects Australians over the age of 50 and is caused by bones losing their density, thereby increasing risks of fractures.

Currently more than one million Australians are affected by the condition but Ms Clark says she hopes the community focused pharmacy brand’s clinics have helped to raise awareness of the disease and of the importance of regular bone density testing.

“Many of our stores clinics were fully booked and some even had to hold additional clinics in order to meet customer demand,” she said. “It’s an incredibly positive result and I hope that they’ve prompted widespread discussion and awareness of a disease that is not often spoken about or promoted.”

For more information on Discount Drug Stores and its bone density clinics, please visit www.discountdrugstores.com.au.

Media enquiries: please contact Suzanne Ross on 0488 441 589 or 07 3250 9406 or email s.ross@graymedia.com.au.

Queensland insurance broker set for rapid national expansion

Specialising in providing Australian associations and membership based groups with tailored insurance and risk management services is well and truly paying off for niche Queensland insurance broker Parmia Insurance.

In addition to being an Australian Insurance Award Finalist for the past two years, the firm recently won Queensland Young Professional Broker of the Year and Queensland Broker of the Year at the National Insurance Broker Association’s (NIBA) state awards.

The firm is now poised for rapid expansion across Australia, with Founder and Director Danny Gumm attributing Parmia’s success to taking a left of field approach to insurance broking by selecting a relatively untapped market to target.

“I established Parmia Insurance because I was concerned about seeing professional associations and their members left unprotected or at significant risk from inadequate ‘off-the-shelf’ insurance policies,” explained Mr Gumm. “There wasn’t really anyone looking at each professional industry’s unique exposures and needs.”

Established in 2002, currently, Parmia looks after 15 associations and their members across Australia, covering a wide range of industries including beauty, health, graphic design, IT and learning and business development.

Working with the world’s best insurers including Lloyd’s of London, Mr Gumm states the company’s core point of difference is that it works together with its clients to get a comprehensive understanding of their industry and members’ needs.

“Every industry we assist has its own unique risks that have to be addressed so taking a blanket approach to every client is just not feasible,” he said. “We treat it as a priority to always meet face to face with each association on a pre-agreed basis to maintain and implement an ever evolving detailed and tailored risk management and insurance policy.

“We pride ourselves on working with professional associations to minimise the exposures of their industry with positive risk management,” Mr Gumm continued. “We resolve any issues they face by sourcing cover on their behalf, or providing a viable cost solution for both the insurer and insured alike.”

Parmia’s tailored service offering has resulted in the firm being able to develop solutions for industries where cover has been particularly difficult.

Prime examples include its solution afforded to the beauty industry for high end procedures when no cover was available and the firm currently providing one of the only risk management and insurance options available to the tattoo industry.

It’s this personal approach that’s also resulting in Parmia’s rapid expansion and the firm is showing no signs of slowing down, already pinpointing the allied medical and alternative health industries as key areas of growth.

Mr Gumm states that the company’s combined 30 years of experience working in the beauty industry places Parmia in a uniquely qualified position to cater to these two target markets.

“There is a real synergy between the alternative health and allied medical industries and the ever expanding beauty industry that we can really take advantage of,” he said. “By tailoring our award winning beauty insurance products to suit these two closely related industries, I believe we’ll be able to establish Parmia as the leader in this sector.”

Mr Gumm says the insurance broking firm has come a long way since it was first established and that the next phase of business will be about taking Parmia Insurance to the next level by wholesaling many of its unique products.

“This first decade of business for Parmia has been focused on creating our own niche in what is an incredibly competitive marketplace,” said Mr Gumm. “We’ve built a very strong platform and reputation that I believe puts us in good stead to now drive forward and really position ourselves as one of Australia’s leading firms.”

For more information on Parmia Insurance, please visit www.parmiainsurance.com.au.

Media Enquiries: Suzanne Ross at Graymedia on 07 3250 9406, 0488 441 589 or email s.ross@graymedia.com.au.