MOMENTS CHANGING LIVES Highest Priority Surgical Care Needs Donor Update Donor Update December May 2013 2012 A Special Report to Supporters Thank you for helping to advance the standard of care for patients in London and Southwestern Ontario through your support of Surgical Care at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). Our surgeons are saving people’s lives through their expertise and innovation. Our Hospital is a major player on the world stage in terms of developing and introducing new surgical technologies and techniques – benefitting patients not only in London and region, but around the world. Donors Support New Surgical Robots Our donors invest in the best possible health care – and with the help of our philanthropic supporters, LHSC now has the most advanced surgical technology for the patients of today and tomorrow. More Than $2.7 Million Raised From left: Danny Minogue (Minogue Medical) and Carol Mackin-Uecker (Intuitive Surgical) celebrate LHSC’s national training centre designation with LHSC President and CEO Bonnie Adamson and Dr. Christopher Schlachta Speciﬁcally, LHSC recently purchased a next-generation da Vinci Si HD surgical system for each of University Hospital and Victoria Hospital. With this equipment, LHSC will provide patients with world-leading minimally invasive robotic surgery – improving outcomes and allowing patients to return to normal life more quickly. As well, because of this new technology, LHSC has been selected by da Vinci manufacturer Intuitive Surgical, Inc. as the exclusive training centre for robotic surgery in Canada – a designation that will bring surgeons from around the world to London for advanced training. The training centre will be an integral component of LHSC’s CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics) program. “With the addition of the two new da Vinci Si systems, we look forward to expanding our nation-leading breadth of robotic surgical practice into new areas for our Hospital such as thoracic, transplant and paediatric surgery,” says CSTAR’s medical director Dr. Christopher Schlachta. “It is critical that CSTAR continues to pioneer innovations in medical technology and apply them at the bedside to ensure patients are receiving the highest quality care we can provide.” At London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), we are dedicated to wholly funding the two new da Vinci systems. Our Foundation continues to actively seek a total of approximately $14.5 million in philanthropic support to fund this exciting initiative. Through the generosity of our philanthropic supporters in 2012, $2,704,317 in net revenue was raised for Surgical Care at LHSC. This includes programs such as critical care, CSTAR, otolaryngology, thoracic surgery and urology. From Surgical Care’s accumulated funds, more than $3.8 million was disbursed in the past year in support of: Equipment: $3,293,770 Patient Care: $214,407 Research: $210,699 Education and Fellowships: $56,969 Restructuring/ Construction: $47,273 We are accountable to our donors, stewarding with respect, integrity and transparency. Please take a moment to view our most recent community report at www.lhsf.ca/2012AR. MOMENTS CHANGING LIVES Highest Priority Surgical Care Needs Donor Update Donor Update December May 2013 2012 Otolaryngology Residents Take Part in Surgical Bootcamp In 2012, residents from 10 universities and hospitals across Canada and the United States visited CSTAR to participate in the Emergencies in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Bootcamp. “The simulation-based bootcamp trained ﬁrst- and secondyear residents specializing in otolaryngology emergency lifesaving skills before they experienced life-threatening situations during their residency,” says Dr. Kevin Fung, a head and neck surgeon at LHSC and course director. The bootcamp was divided into three parts: practical skills training where residents worked on realistic models, panels where real-life emergency cases were discussed and mannequin simulation scenarios. David Yeh, a resident at LHSC, encountered some of the situations that were discussed and simulated while on call shortly after the bootcamp. “The training certainly made a positive impact,” he says. Dr. Schlachta Receives Diamond Jubilee Medal Recognized for research in developing simulationbased training for laparoscopic and robotic surgery, Dr. Christopher Schlachta has been awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Dr. Schlachta is known for his expertise in advanced minimally invasive surgery and in particular laparoscopic and computer-assisted surgery for gastrointestinal disease and cancer. Save the Date The 2013 LHSC Trauma Golf Classic in support of critical equipment and services for our Hospital’s trauma program will be held at London’s RiverBend Golf Club on August 22. More than $332,000 has been raised through this notable community event since 2009. Please contact event chair Nigel Gilby at 519.672.4510 or ngilby@lerners.ca for more information. Did you know? The cochlear implant program at LHSC celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2012. This important program has changed the lives of close to 500 people with severe hearing impairments. Bootcamp participants A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides individuals with the sensation of hearing by bypassing the damaged part of the inner ear. MOMENTS CHANGING LIVES Highest Priority Surgical Care Needs Donor Update Donor Update December May 2013 2012 Keiko and Charles Belair Support Next-Generation Thoracic Surgery In 2005, Keiko Belair was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Under the care of Dr. Richard Inculet, chief of thoracic surgery at LHSC, Keiko underwent a gastrectomy – the removal of her stomach – to save her life. Thoracic surgeons like Dr. Inculet provide specialized clinical care for patients with a wide range of serious diseases of the thorax (chest) including the lungs, mediastinum (middle of the chest), chest wall, esophagus, diaphragm and stomach. For Keiko, her experiences with Dr. Inculet and the thoracic surgery team not only saved her life but also changed her outlook. “I am deeply thankful for the support I received from friends and relatives as well as all the doctors and nurses at LHSC, who were so caring and so helpful,” says Keiko. “I am so grateful for Dr. Inculet and feel extremely happy to be one of his patients. If it hadn’t been for my cancer, I might not have noticed how lucky I truly am. Since my surgery, I’ve found more true meaning in my life.” In gratitude for the care she received, and to help ensure the next generation of patients receives the same extraordinary care, Keiko and her husband Charles made a $200,000 gift in support of Dr. Inculet and the thoracic surgery program. Speciﬁcally, the Belairs’ generous gift is supporting a new thoracic surgery operating room being constructed as part of LHSC’s OR redesign project at Victoria Hospital. Keiko Belair and her late husband Charles (seated), members of the Belair family and Dr. Richard Inculet (back row, second from right) The new thoracic surgery OR will feature a state-of-theart minimally invasive surgical suite, which will allow the thoracic surgery team to move forward with advanced, minimally invasive, video-assisted cancer surgery. The technology will also allow the team to share their expertise directly from the OR via video conferencing, beneﬁtting other surgeons and their patients across the country and around the world. While Charles – a celebrated photographer who operated a studio in Kitchener for more than 70 years and who passed away on September 7, 2012 at the age of 98 – didn’t get to see the completion of the new thoracic surgery OR, the Belairs’ gift will be commemorated by two named rooms within the surgical program. CSTAR Hosts Surgical Robotics Summer School Led by co-chairs Rajni Patel, PhD (CSTAR) and Terry Peters, PhD (Robarts Research Institute), the North American Surgical Robotics Summer School was held at CSTAR in August 2012. This was the ﬁrst time this event was held in Canada. The registrant list included 65 graduate students and earlycareer researchers from across Canada and the US as well as from Denmark, Japan and Qatar – individuals who are doing research and developing technology for use in the medical ﬁeld. The event featured a distinguished faculty, who delivered lectures on a range of key topics related to surgical robotics. It also included hands-on experience in CSTAR’s surgical, engineering and simulation laboratories. MOMENTS CHANGING LIVES Highest Priority Surgical Care Needs Donor Update Donor Update December May 2013 2012 Drs. Palma and Nichols Launch World-First Clinical Trial Transoral robotic surgery is a new method for treating Dr. David Palma (left) oropharyngeal (throat) cancer and Dr. Anthony Nichols that can be an ideal therapy for patients, while sparing them life-changing radiation-related side eﬀects. Many centres in the US are promoting its use. No direct comparison of transoral robotic surgery and radiation therapy has been completed, however, to determine which treatment truly provides the best patient outcomes. Dr. Parnes Receives Distinguished Service Award For only the second time, a Canadian physician has won an American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) – Head and Neck Surgery Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Lorne Parnes is the medical/surgical director of LHSC’s cochlear implant program and is the site chief for otolaryngology at University Hospital. This award is presented to medical professionals in recognition of extensive meritorious service to the AAO, the world’s largest organization representing specialists who treat the ear, nose and throat and related structures of the head and neck. As the only centre in Canada with a transoral robotic surgery program, LHSC is uniquely positioned to solve this problem – and in June 2012, Drs. Anthony Nichols and David Palma launched ORATOR, the world’s ﬁrst clinical trial comparing robotic surgery to radiation therapy for the treatment of throat cancer. This four-year study is examining the impact of both treatment methods on patients’ speech and swallowing function as well as overall quality of life. Approximately 68 patients with early-stage throat cancer from participating centres in London, Ottawa and Toronto will be randomized to receive either the standard treatment (radiation therapy or concurrent chemo-radiation) or transoral robotic surgery. “This study represents a ﬁrst step toward deﬁning best practice in oropharyngeal cancer treatment in North America and worldwide,” says Dr. Nichols. Dr. Lorne Parnes Thank You We Want to Hear from You Thank you for your investment in excellence at LHSC through your support of Surgical Care. Donor contributions fund innovative equipment, research, education and enhanced patient care – they are not used for administrative or operational expenses of our Hospital. Simply put, your donor dollars make our Hospital great. Please contact us if you have any comments about this special report, questions concerning your philanthropic goals or inquiries regarding how our Foundation supports health care at LHSC. Janet Burrell, our Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship, would be happy to help and can be reached at 519.685.8270 or janet.burrell@lhsc.on.ca. London Health Sciences Foundation is the fundraising arm of London Health Sciences Centre and, as a charitable organization, issues tax receipts. London Health Sciences Foundation 747 Baseline Road East, London, ON N6C 2R6 Canada Tel 519.685.8409 Fax 519.685.8265 foundation@lhsc.on.ca www.lhsf.ca Charitable Organization No. 89478-1475-RR-0001