Patients facing some of the most complicated medical emergencies on Vancouver Island could soon have access to a new level of surgical care, as Victoria’s hospitals prepare for a major investment in medical technology and operating room capacity. The Victoria Hospitals Foundation has launched a $43-million fundraising campaign to bring two new hybrid operating rooms to Royal Jubilee Hospital and significantly expand Interventional radiology services at both Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospital. The initiative, called It’s Time for Surgical Transformation, is the third and final phase of the foundation’s multi-year campaign. Its goal is to help doctors take on increasingly complex cases while improving access to specialized treatment closer to home. At the heart of the plan is technology that allows medical teams to combine sophisticated imaging with surgery in the same room. For patients, that could make a significant difference. Hybrid operating rooms allow surgeons to use advanced imaging while performing complex procedures, eliminating the need to move critically ill patients between different treatment areas. The technology is expected to support procedures involving the heart, blood vessels and brain, including complicated aneurysm repairs and interventions aimed at preventing strokes. The two new rooms will be built at Royal Jubilee Hospital. According to the foundation, they will also mark the first new operating rooms added to Victoria’s hospitals in more than 23 years. The campaign also includes a $17.6-million investment in Interventional Radiology, which uses medical imaging to guide instruments through blood vessels and other parts of the body to treat disease. The expansion will create two new suites, upgrade two existing ones and add dedicated recovery space. Once complete, the four-suite system is expected to double the hospitals’ Interventional Radiology capacity. That could mean more patients receiving treatment for stroke, internal bleeding and certain cancers without undergoing traditional open surgery. “Interventional Radiology allows us to replace major surgery with surgery through a pinprick,” said Dr. Vamshi Kotha, head of interventional radiology at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals, in the foundation’s announcement. Kotha pointed to the hospitals’ use of NanoKnife technology for early-stage prostate cancer as an example of how specialized equipment is changing treatment options. The hospitals were the first in Canada’s public health system to use the technology for that purpose, according to the foundation. The proposed expansion comes as demand for specialized health care continues to grow, particularly among older adults. The foundation says Vancouver Island’s population aged 85 and older is expected to more than double over the next two decades, putting additional pressure on services already dealing with complex and time-sensitive conditions. Royal Jubilee’s vascular surgery program is also taking on an increasingly prominent role in stroke prevention. Dr. Matt Robinson, head of vascular surgery at Royal Jubilee, said the hospital’s teams treat a substantial share of the province’s stroke cases. “Although Vancouver Island represents just 15 per cent of British Columbia’s population, our teams care for approximately 40 per cent of the province’s stroke volume,” Robinson said in the foundation’s release. He says the new operating rooms will give medical teams more flexibility to bring together surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists and imaging specialists when patients need highly co-ordinated care. The $43-million campaign has already raised $8.2 million. Local philanthropist Craig Mearns provided a $3-million leadership gift, with another local donor contributing an additional $3 million. Mearns said in the foundation’s announcement that supporting local medical teams means giving them the tools and facilities needed to continue advancing patient care. The fundraising push builds on the first two phases of the It’s Time campaign, which generated $38 million over two years and helped bring robotic-assisted surgery and other specialized medical equipment to Victoria hospitals. The foundation says the latest phase is about ensuring those advances can be supported by the facilities and infrastructure needed to put them into practice. For patients and families across Vancouver Island, the longer-term goal is more treatment options, greater access to specialized procedures and the ability to receive some of the most advanced care without travelling to the Lower Mainland. Donations can be made through the Victoria Hospitals Foundation website.
