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New OR Suite Translates to Less Pain and Quicker Recovery for Patients
Minimally invasive surgery cuts time in half
“This puts us among the top 12 pediatric institutions in North America with this capability,” says Daniel K. Robie, M.D., Kapi'olani's Medical Director of advanced minimally invasive services. “Our children can now enjoy the same technically advanced surgical care previously available only at the best children's hospitals on the mainland.” For years now, Kapi'olani surgeons have performed minimally invasive surgery. Instead of making one large incision, surgeons make several small ones. Through these “keyholes,” surgeons pass both a laparoscope — a video telescope that projects images on a monitor to guide the surgeon — and instruments to perform the surgery. Our two new MIS operating rooms take these advances much farther by giving Kapi'olani surgeons the latest state-of-the-art equipment and more control over it. Surgeons themselves will now be able to control such factors as the patient's table position, lighting and monitors — rather than asking nurses to do it.
Because MIS techniques disturb less muscle tissue and fewer nerves, there is less pain afterwards and patients recover more quickly. There also are cosmetic benefits. “With babies born with a hole in their diaphragms, for example, the incisions are very difficult to find,” says Dr. Robie. Initially used for arthroscopic procedures, such as knee repairs, laparoscopy is becoming the preferred procedure for repairing many congenital anomalies in newborns and for surgeries involving the stomach, appendix, spleen and gallbladder. At Kapi'olani, it's now also used for chest and spine operations. Due to the MIS suite's telemedicine capabilities, surgeons from around the world also can observe and/or consult with Kapi'olani surgeons during procedures. All these capabilities will be showcased in May, when a full day of MIS demonstrations will be beamed to a major international pediatric surgical conference sponsored by Kapi'olani on Maui. “This,” says Dr. Robie, “marks the beginning of Kapi'olani as a recognized center of excellence for pediatric minimally invasive surgery.” One Success Story
 Julie-Ann suffered from scoliosis (curvature of the spine). Other doctors told her they could halt the curving, but not correct it. Then she found Robert Durkin, M.D., a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. Because of her age, Julie-Ann was surprised that Kapi'olani Children's Hospital would treat her. However, she learned that the specialty of pediatrics covers children and young adults, from birth to age 21. For pediatric orthopedics, which deals with conditions that originate during childhood, the typical age cutoff is 22. In Julie-Ann’s case, instead of cutting a long incision in her back or side, Dr. Durkin made eight small incisions on her right side. He then inserted metal rods and screws, and bone grafts from her hip, to straighten and fuse her spinal column together. The procedure was only the second surgery of its kind performed in Hawaii. “With traditional surgery, the typical recovery period is four to seven days in the hospital and three to six weeks before returning to school or work,” says Dr. Durkin. “Julie-Ann was out of the hospital in three days, working part-time two weeks later and full-time in three weeks.” “Dr. Durkin did a great job,” says Julie-Ann. “There are fewer scars, my back is definitely straighter, and I feel taller and much more confident about myself.”
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