Cover St Luke’s Medical Center recognised the contributions of its doctors in conducting robotic surgeries (Photo: courtesy of St Luke’s Medical Center)
St Luke’s Medical Center recognised the contributions of its doctors in conducting robotic surgeries (Photo: courtesy of St Luke’s Medical Center)
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St Luke’s Medical Center
As St Luke’s celebrates this achievement, St Luke’s Medical Center president and CEO Dennis Serrano shares insights on the past, present and future of robotic surgery
What seemed like science fiction almost two decades ago is now a reality: robotics-assisted surgery is poised to be a new standard in modern medicine. St Luke’s Medical Center has recently achieved a groundbreaking 2,500 robotic surgeries, the highest number so far in the country. But this would not have been possible without recognising the talented doctors and patients whose lives were transformed.
During the awards ceremony at the Isla Grand Ballroom of EDSA Shangri-La, medical practitioners and trailblazers were recognised for their use of robotic surgery across medical fields, from urology and general medicine to obstetrics and gynaecology—proving that there is hunger and passion to improve the lives of Filipinos with the latest technology available.
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Bringing the future
Above To date, St Luke's Medical Center president and CEO Dennis Serrano has performed the hospital's most robotic surgeries (Photo: courtesy of St Luke’s Medical Center)
To date, St Luke's Medical Center president and CEO Dennis Serrano has performed the hospital's most robotic surgeries (Photo: courtesy of St Luke’s Medical Center)
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Above Dr Dennis Serrano, Dr Caesar Casanova Jr, Dr Amornetta Jordan-Casupang, Dr Ronald Faller and Dr Martin Villa conducted the first robotic-assisted kidney transplant in the Philippines (Photo: courtesy of St Luke’s Medical Center)
Dr Dennis Serrano, Dr Caesar Casanova Jr, Dr Amornetta Jordan-Casupang, Dr Ronald Faller and Dr Martin Villa conducted the first robotic-assisted kidney transplant in the Philippines (Photo: courtesy of St Luke’s Medical Center)
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In early 2010, at the behest of then St Luke’s Medical Center president Joe Ledesma, the hospital procured a third-generation Da Vinci Si surgical system, which promised to dramatically improve patient wellness and care. Progress, however, was initially slow, and there were apprehensions about how concrete an impact robotics would have on the medical field.
“Robotic surgery was not well known at the time,” current president and CEO Dennis Serrano explains. “We didn’t have surgeons then trained in [its use] and patients might not be able to afford the procedure given the cost of the machine.” Such uneasiness was normal: by his own account, it was difficult to convince patients at all, as they needed both the finances and the understanding of how it would work—and at the time, robotic surgery was hardly common knowledge.
“But it was a commitment to a vision,” Serrano declares. “St Luke's has to be at the forefront of advancing medical technology so that we can bring the best treatment for patients in the Philippines.” Indeed, it was a vision that bore fruit: though it took nine years for the hospital to record 1,000 robotic surgeries, it only took six for them to achieve another 1,500.
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Above The St Luke's Quezon City surgical team with a Da Vinci unit (Photo: courtesy of St Luke’s Medical Center)
The St Luke's Quezon City surgical team with a Da Vinci unit (Photo: courtesy of St Luke’s Medical Center)
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Above Dr Serrano operates a Da Vinci unit (Photo: courtesy of St Luke's Medical Center)
Dr Serrano operates a Da Vinci unit (Photo: courtesy of St Luke's Medical Center)
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The main advantage of this form of surgery is that it is minimally invasive, resulting in better patient-reported outcomes. Serrano proposes a hypothetical: “If you have cancer, and I open your abdomen and take it out, it is cured if it is early enough. If I [do the same] with robotic surgery, you get the same outcome but with less blood loss and more preservation. The technology gives us 3D imaging, 10 times magnification and microdissection ability.”
“It’s a more precise surgery,” he says, making a small incision in the air. “And because it is more precise, there is less blood loss.”
He adds, “Because you are in less pain, there is less need for pain medication. You recover faster, and your hospital stay is shorter. You don’t have to take a month before you get back to work, [or] swing a golf club.”
Speaking of the doctors who were recognised earlier at the ceremony, Serrano affirms that they intend to encourage young medical practitioners to embrace innovation and technology. “It takes effort for doctors to learn a different way to do things,” he says. “It also takes a lot of courage to get out of your comfort zone and use [something] that was never taught to you in medical school or residency.”
“But if it takes that much courage for doctors,” Serrano remarks, “imagine the patients.”
Telling stories
Indeed, it was courage that spurred two individuals not just to undergo robotic surgery, but to share the story of how it transpired.
“My surgery was last April,” Anna Tuazon recounts. A mother of three, she was afraid to undergo the traditional knife-and-scalpel hysterectomy. But her doctor brought forth the idea of undergoing robotic surgery for this purpose instead. “I’m thankful, because the pain and downtime were minimal,” she enthuses. “I was able to get back to my routine much sooner than anticipated. The very next day, I was able to take a bath by myself and a day later, I was discharged.”
Meanwhile, during a routine check-up for his hypertension, 64-year-old Manuel de Jesus also decided to undergo a prostate exam—and learned he was facing stage one prostate cancer. “The biopsy came back positive,” he recalls. “My doctor told me, ‘Your best option is robotics [surgery]. More precise, less blood, smaller incision.’ I had full trust—he was a friend, a family doctor.” The doctor explained the specifics of the whole procedure before he underwent it.
“Who am I going to trust if not a doctor?” he jokes. “He studied years for this!”
To learn more about St Luke’s Robotic Surgery, schedule a consultation with our experts through their production information hub by contacting 0947 9930 471, 0939 9161 805 or 0998 5822 276.
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About
Tobias wants to write things that make people think, laugh, and reflect. He’s especially proud when he can sneak in a cheeky pop-culture reference or a pun in his titles and articles.
He possesses a deep love of history, resulting from years of books, games, and museum visits. It was this fascination with the human endeavour that fostered his love of writing, spanning genres, tones, and moods. He one day hopes to write a novel—he just hasn't decided on a genre yet. A certified homebody, you'll often find him on the computer he built himself, binge-watching Seinfeld or House, playing his favourite gacha game, or reading a book.
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Tobias is a features writer that specialises in branded content. Reach out to him at tobias.tomas@tatlerasia.com.
