An international training program led by St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne is taking the next step in supporting doctors from rural Kenya by using a device similar to Google Glasses to supervise complicated cardiac surgeries remotely.
The initial program, established in 2022, saw Dr Keith Dindi, a cardiac and general surgeon at Tenwek—a 400-bed Mission Hospital in Kenya—spend 18 months training at St Vincent’s. Dr Dindi’s training focused on minimally invasive thoracic and vascular surgical techniques and the management of ischaemic heart disease.
Since completing the program, Dr Dindi has performed more lifesaving surgeries in six months than in the previous ten years.
PHOTO: (L to R): Dr Keith Dindi and Dr Matthew Read.
Addressing real need
Oesophageal cancer and heart failure brought on by rheumatic heart disease affect thousands of patients across the African continent - some of them young children.
Worldwide, 37 million people have Rheumatic Heart Disease. Disturbingly, more than half live in Sub-Saharan Africa, with most people affected being between the ages of 5 and 30 years.
“In this part of rural Kenya, the burden of these diseases is extremely high,” explains Dr Matthew Read, an Upper Gastrointestinal surgeon at St Vincent’s who has played a key role in establishing this unique training experience after spending time working at the hospital in early 2020.
“You don’t really understand the value programs like this can have until you see the sheer numbers of patients they are dealing with. While we might see 50 cases of oesophageal cancer a year, they would see close to 700. Sadly, they even see oesophageal cancer in children as young as 11.”
Tenwek Hospital previously had no surgeons trained to perform these types of surgeries, which meant the operations could only be conducted every few months when a skilled surgeon visited Kenya.
PHOTO: Surgeons standing outside Tenwek Hospital in Kenya.
Using technology to bridge the gap
The program is set to expand with the introduction of technology to provide real-time guidance to surgeons during complex operations.
Dr Read said, “We’re excited to soon be able to offer virtual support to Dr Dindi and his colleagues. The first step was to create a secure internet connection for the team at Tenwek Hospital. We’re delighted to be working with Australian company Netlinkz, which generously donated two satellite dishes that will be delivered to Kenya in the next couple of weeks.
“From there, we need to source the best ‘smart glass’ technology."
Dr Read said, "By bringing this technology to one of the most under-resourced countries in the world, we can have the biggest impact. I’m proud to say that St Vincent's is one of the pioneers of this elevated program.
"Once the internet connection issue has been solved and the technology is in place, the program will be relatively low-risk and high-reward.
“The main risk for the program is making it sustainable to ensure it can continue."
To find out more about the project and how you can become involved, please contact:
Melina Talanis, Director (acting) St Vincent’s Foundation – Victoria.
M 0426 110 533
E melina.talanis@svha.org.au
