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| Dr Gagner and Hembry display the new device during a demonstration |
The Hamad Medical Corporation has scored a first in the Middle East by introducing the latest device in the field of less invasive laparoscopy - Spider Surgical Platform - for weight loss, especially gastric band and sleeve procedures for trimming the stomach in obese people.
In the past two weeks, a team of surgeons has used the device to conduct gastric sleeve surgery on 10 patients - nine women and one man - at the Hamad Hospital while a total of 1,500 patients are on the waiting list for the new weight loss invention.
The device, which is enabling a new class of weight loss surgery, is a flexible laparoscopy involving a single incision in the umbilical area with patients feeling less pain due to the 43 minutes procedure and also having little or no scar afterwards.
The new device, which debuted in Europe in December 2010, is already in use in the US, Germany, Austria and Italy, and is being envisaged as the one to replace the open site and multiple incisions laparoscopic procedures.
“We are always looking out for options that are less painful for patients and so far no complications or infections have been reported from the use of this device, either while being used for gastric sleeve, gastric banding or for other procedures such as gall bladder, colon and appendix surgeries,” HMC Bariatric Surgery chief Dr Michel Gagner said at a press conference yesterday.
However, he explained that despite not having complications, patients undergoing the procedure still experience similar side effects as those having other laparoscopy surgeries such as bleeding and bowel leakage.
“Apart from these side effects, which are common with almost all laparoscopy surgeries, the use of this device is generally safe, it is quick. Patients stay at the hospital for only two-three days and the outcome is always better in terms of cosmetics outlook of the surgical site after the procedure as well as the overall well-being of the patients. And little or no scar at the site is one of its greatest advantages,” Dr Gagner said.
He said the patients will begin to reduce weight by some 10% within the first month after the procedure and by another 20% and 30% in the following three and six months respectively.
“Let us say a patient is weighing 100kg before the procedure, he will begin to lose weight by 10kg in the first month, 20kg in another three months and 30kg in six months after the procedure,” he said.
According to him, those on the waiting list are mostly women - all teenagers up to 76-years-old with some 70% Qataris.
“We have this huge number of people on the waiting list as around 80% of the local population here is said to be obese and we are going to be conducting gastric sleeve and banding for a majority of them. However, there are plans to start using Spider for gall bladder and appendix very soon,” he said adding surgeons hope they may be able to use the device through the mouth in future.
Speaking about the instrument invented by TransEnterix, its EMEA vice president Robin Hembry explained that the Spider Surgical System is advancing minimally invasive surgery by reducing the need for multiple incisions while providing additional capabilities to surgeons.
