Radiothon Raising Funds For N.B.’s First Surgical Robot

The community will come together on Thursday to support the Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation.

The 10th annual Love Your Hospital Radiothon takes place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Country 94 and 97.3 The Wave.

Jamie Gallagher, president of the hospital foundation, said this year’s campaign will support a $6.2-million appeal to purchase the province’s first surgical robot.

The da Vinci will be used for urological, cardiac, and gynecological cancer surgeries in the short term, with plans to expand to a wide range of procedures.

“It’s a piece of technology that is the tip of the iceberg in terms of robotic surgery, but something that is needed here in New Brunswick and benefits lots of New Brunswickers,” Gallagher said in an interview.

This leading-edge technology has been the norm in parts of the world for more than a decade and enables tiny, precise movements beyond human capabilities.

Dr. Matt Acker, a urologist at the hospital, said the technology is correlated with shorter hospital stays and less risk of complication, and patients as a whole recover faster with less pain and fewer drugs.

“The movements are so intuitive. It mimics everything I’m doing. If I move my hand, the robot is translating that into the same motion but in a much finer, scaled-down way,” said Acker in a news release.

Gallagher said a robotic-assisted surgery program is also critical to attracting and retaining top surgeons and talent.

The da Vinci also opens the door to networking and collaborating with top-ranking hospitals in North America and around the world, along with the chance to lead and participate in clinical research.

Gallagher said this year’s major sponsor is the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation, which will match all donations up to $100,000.

Over the past nine years, the annual radiothon has raised more than $1.4 million for the Saint John Regional Hospital.

Gallagher said they continue to receive tremendous support from the community each and every year.

“Of course, with what’s been going on the last couple of years, people feel compelled I think to contribute to donate to invest in the hospital,” he said.

You can donate to this year’s campaign at www.thegive.ca.