Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2004

New Centre HK$50 Million-Minimally Invasive Surgical Skills Centre to Be Set Up T he first M i n i ma l ly Invasive Surgical Skills Centre in the Asia-Pacific w i l l soon be set up at CUHK. A HK$50 million project, the centre w i ll r e v o l u t i on i ze conventional surgical t r a i n i ng, enhance p a t i e nt care, a nd f a c i l i t a te g l o b al exchange on advances in surgical skills. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust funds over half the project. The centre, to be located inside the Prince of Wales Hospital, w i l l be completed by 2005. It w i ll house a surgical animal skills laboratory, Ho ng Kong's first virtual reality training laboratory, two state-of-the-art endo-surgery operating theatre suites, a simulated operation room, a cutting-edge r obo t ic s u r g i c al system, a m i c r o s c op ic a nd endoscopic surgical laboratory, and a seminar room, all linked by teleconference facilities. The centre, wh i ch costs HK$50 m i l l i on to build, w i l l be funded by The Ho ng Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (HK$28.2 million) and Kai Chong Tong Foundation, as well as contributions from the general public. The University's Faculty of Medicine has been playing a pivotal role in MIS development and research in the Asia-Pacific. Over the years, faculty members have developed a great number of novel MIS techniques, w i th many of the world's and Asia's firsts being performed at the Prince of Wales Hospital. New Treatment New Minimally Invasive Approaches in Paediatric Surgeries Proves Highly Successful The Division of Paediatric Surgery and Paediatric Urology under the Department of Surgery has pioneered a new approach to bladder surgery and a new method to repair inguinal hernia in infants and children. The new technique was introduced to the public at the Postgraduate Education Centre of the Prince of Wales Hospital on 28th April 2004. Bladder Surgery T raditionally complex bladder surgeries in both adults and children have been performed via an open approach which requires a large incision over the abdominal and the bladder walls. Forceful retraction of the bladder wall is required to allow adequate exposure for surgical vision and manipulation and prolonged urinary diversion is necessary post-operatively. This is associated w i th severe wound pain and bladder spasm, significant surgical stress reactions, delayed return to normal daily activities, and a long, unsightly abdominal scar. The new approach involves performing laparoscopic procedures w i t h in the bladder under carbon dioxide bladder insufflation. Various complex bladder surgeries in infants and children can now be very safely and effectively conducted using this new technique. It has also s i gn i f i c an t ly reduced surgical trauma and stress, and shortened hospital stay from between seven and 14 days to only 24 hours. News in Brief 69