St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne Passes 100 Robotic Microsurgery Procedures

St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne has completed 100 microsurgical procedures using the Symani Robotic Surgical System, a platform developed by surgical robotics company Medical Micro Instruments (MMI) and supplied in Australia by medical technology provider Device Technologies.

The hospital was the first in the Asia-Pacific region to install the system in August 2024 and remains the only site in Australia using the Symani platform to support complex reconstructive microsurgery.

How the Symani system works

The Symani system is a surgeon-operated robot that mimics the operator’s hand movements while filtering out tremor and scaling motion to allow work on vessel structures smaller than a millimetre.

Its miniaturised robotic instruments are designed to increase dexterity and precision during procedures, giving surgeons access to anatomical areas that are difficult to reach with conventional techniques.

The system is suited to procedures including cancer reconstruction, nerve repair, soft tissue and small bone transfers and lymphatic repair.

Opening up procedures that were previously out of reach

The technology has expanded the range of reconstructive procedures available at St Vincent’s, including operations that were not previously considered feasible.

Since the Symani system was introduced, the hospital has used it for reconstructive surgery following head and neck cancer, breast cancer and sarcoma removal. It has also been used for prophylactic lymphatic reconstruction after breast cancer surgery, a procedure aimed at reducing the risk of patients developing lymphoedema.

Dr Eldon Mah, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, and Dr Sophie Ricketts, Specialist Plastic Surgeon at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, described the impact the platform has had on their unit.

“The adoption of Symani marks an important evolution in microsurgery, allowing this unit to explore and implement techniques that were previously beyond reach,” Mah and Ricketts explained.

“We have been able to unlock the potential of this technology for patients today as well as those for whom no solution yet exists.”

A training hub for the southern hemisphere

Beyond its clinical use, St Vincent’s has established itself as the first site in the Asia-Pacific region to launch a clinical robotic microsurgery program. The hospital now functions as a training and education hub for robotic microsurgery across the southern hemisphere.

That role is expected to grow as interest in the technology increases among surgical teams in the region.

Device Technologies flags broader potential

Lisa Kirsch, Director of Sales – Surgical and Hospital at Device Technologies, pointed to the milestone as a marker of how the technology is being adopted in Australia.

“Reaching 100 cases using the Symani system is a notable milestone within Australian healthcare,” Kirsch remarked.

“The job Eldon, Sophie and the team at St Vincent’s have done over the last 18 months is commendable. We were confident that the technology would change the game for surgical precision and it’s been great to see the number of patients so far who have benefitted as a result.”

The Symani system is currently only available at St Vincent’s in Australia, though the milestone may prompt interest from other hospitals looking to build robotic microsurgery capability.

Last Updated on May 13, 2026 by Nick Ross