The newly expanded Dr Russell Stitz Operating Theatre Complex at The Wesley Hospital was officially opened by the His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland, on March 7.

The $20 million theatre expansion and upgrade project makes it the largest private hospital operating theatre complex in Queensland, now undertaking up to 750 operations per week.

Dr Luis Prado, the Wesley’s Director of Medical Services, said with the addition of the three new, state-of-the-art operating theatres, The Wesley Hospital now houses 19 theatres, including one hybrid theatre, three cardiac catheter laboratories and four endoscopy suites.

The new hybrid theatre is predominantly for vascular surgery and is equipped to provide sophisticated medical imaging, allowing specialists to perform complex surgeries through small incisions, resulting in less discomfort, faster recovery times and fewer risks for patients with multiple medical conditions.

“Advances in x-ray, CT scanning and other medical imaging technologies, and platforms such as the da Vinci surgical system have made it possible to diagnose and treat patients for many diseases through minimally-invasive surgical techniques,” Dr Prado said. “In some cases, patients require multiple surgeries and this can now be done in one theatre session rather than in several stages.

“We are now the biggest and busiest operating complex in a private hospital in Queensland and the expansion reflects our continued investment in peri-operative services to meet demand for surgical procedures.  We now perform more than 750 operations per week servicing patients from not only the Brisbane metropolitan area but all parts of Queensland.”

The Wesley Operating Theatre Complex has been named in honour of one of Queensland’s most esteemed colorectal surgeons, Adjunct Professor Russell Stitz AM, RFD.

UnitingCare Health Executive Director Richard Royle acknowledged the huge contribution made by Dr Stitz over his 45-year career. Dr Stitz retired from surgery in February 2012 but remained active in clinical roles as the Commissioner of the Health Quality and Complaints Commission in Queensland and as Chair of the National Lead Clinicians Group, as well as being on the Board of the Wesley-St Andrews Research Institute. He continued to consult and serve on The Wesley Hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee until the end of 2014.

``His clinical leadership in colorectal surgery, and of course laparoscopic surgery, is part of the history of medicine in Queensland and Australia,” Mr Royle said. “The Wesley Hospital owes its reputation as a pre-eminent centre for colorectal surgery and minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery in large part to Dr Stitz.’’