St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne performs the world’s first 3D POEM endoscopy

Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy has been used to treat the oesophagus disorder achalasia.

Australia-based St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (SVHM) conducted the first-ever 3D Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) in the world.

The procedure, conducted by Associate Professor Bronte Holt and a team of specialised endoscopy nurses on 16 February, is used to treat achalasia, an oesophagus disorder that detracts from swallowing food and liquid.

The 3D POEM has used the Darwin 3D endoscopic system, developed by MedicalTek. The device allows physicians to use 2D scopes to gain a 3D visualisation onscreen, with the use of a 3D monitor and 3D glasses.

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The Darwin 3D system is comprised of a patented algorithm that can input 2D images and analyse light reflection and refraction through depth perception.

“Using 3D imaging enhances the different layers of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as critical structures like the blood vessels and muscle fibres, and these details help us operate with greater precision. This can help doctors learn advanced techniques faster and with more confidence,” Bronte Holt, Associate Professor at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, said.

Other developments in SVHM include endoscopic resection, endoscopic ultrasounds and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography.