We’re excited to introduce St. Joe's Chief of Surgery, Dr. Bobby Shayegan! A nationally recognized expert in robotically-assisted prostate cancer surgery, Dr. Shayegan has worked at St. Joe’s since 2006. Dr. Shayegan has served as the Deputy Chief of Surgery for the last 13 years. He continues to serve as Division Head of Urology. Dr. Shayegan started his new role as Chief of Surgery on April 1, 2023.

Dr. Shayegan received his MD from the University of Toronto in 1999. In 2004, Dr. Shayegan completed his residency in urology at the University of Toronto, followed by a fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Read on to learn more about what Dr. Shayegan is most looking forward to as Chief of Surgery, what’s on his operating room playlist, and more!

Can you share with us what initially drew you to St. Joe’s and why you’ve taken on this new role?

I am originally from Vancouver and I did my training in Toronto, followed by specialty training in urologic oncology in New York City.  So, I didn’t really have any connections to Hamilton at the time, but what drew me to St. Joe’s was the commitment to innovation that exists here, and the opportunity to make an impact and help build up the urology program.

What’s kept me at St. Joe’s all these years, and part of why I’m excited about this new role is the culture. The culture at St. Joe’s is much more personal. I see a real desire amongst the incredible team we have to help people. At St. Joe’s, it’s very patient-centered and the patient comes first.

What excites me about this role is the opportunity to keep St. Joe’s on the leading edge of surgical innovation. Innovation can’t happen without research, and I’m really looking forward to continuing to grow our research and innovation.

Can you tell us about St. Joe’s leadership in the area of robotic surgery, and how patients benefit from robotic surgery?

Robotics have come to the forefront of surgery for prostate cancer, and St. Joe’s is an early adopter and research leader in Canada in this area. Prostate surgery has undergone an evolution, starting with an innovation in the 1980s called anatomical radical retropubic prostatectomy, which decreased prostate cancer mortality, but at a higher risk of potential complications. Next, in the 1990s came laparoscopic surgery, which decreased complications but is a very challenging procedure to perform. It’s basically like performing three-dimensional reconstructive work using chopsticks as instruments. Most recently, robotic surgery came into play allowing a robotic interface to mimic the movements of our hands and wrists.

Robotic surgery is a much better approach to do certain types of surgery because it creates significantly less bleeding and complications.  It means that there’s less pain for the patient, and that they can go home quicker.

St. Joe’s helped robotic surgery become the standard of care that it is today, and we have contributed significantly to research into robotics which has had worldwide impact. In addition, we’re an innovator in the area of using robotics for thoracic surgery, and we ensure that every thoracic surgery is part of research that adds to the global knowledge on this relatively new technique.

In your experience, can you tell us about the importance of research, and how robotic surgery at St. Joe’s drives innovation?

Robotic surgery at St. Joe’s has, and continues to, contribute a great deal to the global understanding and advancement of this type of surgery. When the robotic surgery program was established, it was with the substantial and generous giving from the Boris family. We created the Boris Family Centre for Robotic Surgery here at St. Joe’s, which is the first comprehensive robotic surgery centre in Canada, grouping various clinical and research programs together under the umbrella of a single institute. We wanted to ensure that these robotic tools are being used to not only provide a better patient experience, but also to advance research and continue to innovate.

Every robotic surgery St. Joe’s performs is part of an active body of research that is designed to explore, document and share the impact robotic surgery is having on patient care.

Could you tell us something about yourself that people may not know?

I’m an avid road cyclist. My wife Yinn and I have taken part in cycling events and toured throughout the Niagara region. So when Sera from the Foundation asked us to take part in Paris to Ancaster: A Ride for Research at St. Joe’s, we said “no problem!” But our speedy road cycling bikes were no match for the muddy hills and rocky trails. After “portaging” our bikes through a few of the muddier parts of the route, Yinn and I finished the 20km course in good spirits and raised more than $2,200 to support groundbreaking research underway right here at St. Joe’s. From clinical research into new treatments for common conditions or to novel studies that are looking at how cost-effective robotic surgery is compared to more traditional open methods, there’s so much inspiring work underway at the Research Institute of St. Joe’s Hamilton and it was great to be a part of an event that’s dedicated to pedaling research innovation forward. We’ll definitely be back for another ride in Paris to Ancaster – but with different bikes, knobby tires, and possibly even some custom mud flaps.

Do you listen to music in the operating room, and if so, what is on your playlist?

When I’m working in the operating room, I’m working with a team, including nurses, anesthesiologists, residents and learners. I make sure to ask the team if they’re okay with music first. If we are all comfortable with some background noise, I ask if they have a preferred genre or playlist. I’m one part of the care team, so I want to make sure everybody has a chance to choose the music that they like. When it’s my turn to pick, I enjoy 90s classic rock and grunge. It takes me back to medical school and my residency during that era.