St Andrew’s Toowoomba Hospital celebrated its 1,000th robot surgery since 2014 The surgical team at St Andrew’s Toowoomba Hospital in Queensland has celebrated a technological milestone, with the 1,000th patient treated using robotic-assisted surgery. St Andrew’s started using the advanced surgical method in 2014, becoming the first regional hospital in Australia to implement the system. In April 2021, gynaecologist Dr Anthony Cerqui performed the landmark 1,000th robotic-assisted case, undertaking a hysterectomy for a patient from the Lockyer Valley. Dr Cerqui said the advancement in technology would help patient outcomes. “Robotic surgery is the way of the future,” he said. “One of the big advantages is that a lot of the external incisions are smaller.”