Wakefield Hospital doubles its capacity for robotic surgery

Wakefield Hospital in Wellington has installed a second da Vinci Xi Surgical System, doubling capacity for robotic-assisted surgery as demand grows in New Zealand. The investment is meant to let more patients access minimally invasive procedures across specialties including urology, gynaecology, ENT, thoracic and general surgery. It follows a major milestone: the hospital reached its 1,000th robotic-assisted surgery two months earlier. Co-directors Dr Anju Basu and Rod Studd said the additional robot will help ease network-wide bed constraints, especially during winter peaks. The da Vinci Xi is Intuitive Surgical’s flagship platform and supports multi-port, complex procedures with enhanced precision. Wakefield says the expansion also strengthens its role as a robotic surgery training centre through partnerships with Device Technologies.