Your Impact: Another MIS Suite Means More Timely Surgery for Many Patients
Published Monday, August 18, 2025
Registered Nurse Jodie Keys and Ron Garon, Manager of Perioperative Services, in the newly equipped MIS suite at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
For some operations, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) can lead to faster recovery times, less risk of infection, and overall better patient outcomes. However, MIS requires a literal suite of high-tech equipment, including advanced imaging.
Now, thanks to your support of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, the Hospital has outfitted another OR room with MIS equipment, increasing capacity from three MIS suites to four.
“That increase makes a world of difference,” says Lisa Robinson, an OR Team Lead at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
“The demand for MIS is growing as more surgeons train for it – many specialities like to use it now,” Robinson said. “Those include general surgery, bariatrics, thoracic, colorectal, gynaecological, urology, ENT, and orthopaedics.”
That's great, but…
“More demand leads to tighter scheduling in the OR. Adding another MIS suite means we can provide timely care for more patients,” she said. “Increasing capacity will have a huge effect on patient care, Robinson said.”
“For example, if someone comes in with a bowel obstruction, they can be in a considerable amount of pain and discomfort. In some scenarios, an MIS approach is preferred to open surgery. Previously, that patient may have had to wait until the evening when an MIS suite opened up. But now with the extra room, they are more likely to get the surgery earlier in the day.
It also means four surgeons can use an MIS suite per day instead of three, increasing capacity for scheduled surgeries, too.”
Under the right circumstances, minimally invasive surgery offers advantages over traditional open surgery. As the name suggests, MIS requires only small incisions rather than one big one to get to the surgical site.
In order to see the surgical site in the body, the MIS system uses advanced imaging equipment inserted into the incisions including thin camera scopes and a light source, as well as their specialized surgical tools. Images from the scopes appear on high-res monitors that look like big-screen TVs so surgeons can see exactly what they are doing with crystal clarity. One of these monitors was installed from the ceiling as part of the renovation.
“It can swing to wherever they are standing in the operating room,” Robinson said. “It allows the surgeon to move and tilt the screen to get the right viewing angle.”
“MIS is the future of surgery,” she said. “We want to remain on the cutting edge by having equipment that will allow the surgeons to provide the best possible care to every patient.”
This new MIS suite is possible thanks to your donations to the Health Sciences Foundation, attending or volunteering at Foundation events, and your purchase of Thunder Bay 50/50 tickets. You are making an impact on the lives of thousands of people in Northwestern Ontario! Find out more about how you are making a difference at: healthsciencesfoundation.ca/news
Article By: Graham Strong