New 3D operating equipment at Forté Health, Christchurch is revolutionising surgery for patients and surgeons in the
South Island.
Forté Health General Manager Rachel Hillyer says the new STORZ 3D equipment, which is the first of its kind in the South
Island, has significant benefits for patients. “It provides much better definition for surgeons, allowing them to be
more precise, reducing the amount of time people spend in theatre and their recovery time,” she says.
One of the biggest challenges for surgeons in laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery is the difficulty of performing
complex manoeuvres, such as suturing and dissecting, in a three-dimensional space, when the endoscopic image is
two-dimensional.
“When you are operating in two dimensions, you don’t realise that your brain is working incredibly hard to complete the
picture,” gynaecologist Mike East says.
“After a long operation, you feel much less tired if you have used 3D and because you can see more clearly, you are able
to progress much more quickly.”
The STORZ 3D technology at Forté Health was trialled by a number of local specialists in 2017. It is now being
successfully used by several gynaecologists from Oxford Women’s Health for operations such as hysterectomies and
endometriosis surgery.
BACKGROUND
Forté Health, which opened in January 2014, was developed by a group of Christchurch medical specialists who, following
the Canterbury earthquakes, realised they had a unique opportunity to design a patient – focussed hospital that could
deliver the highest standards in 21st century healthcare.
The original specialists worked in gynaecology, urology, otorhinolaryngology, and orthopaedics. They have since been
joined by specialists in maxillofacial and plastic surgery. Today Forté Health is the largest specialist owned facility
in Christchurch.
At the moment, Forté Health Hospital is being remodelled to include a new administration area and six new beds. Changes
to the building will be finished by mid-2018.
Work is also underway on Forté 2, the building next door to Forté Health. This new venture, which has different owners
and operators from Forté Health, will include radiology facilities, sports medicine specialists and a pharmacy. The new
facility will open fully in January 2018 providing more consulting services and contributing to the establishment of a
growing medical community in the northern part of Christchurch’s central city.
ENDS