Several new faces have graced the operating rooms of the QEII Health Sciences Centre, partially thanks to equipment funded by generous donors to the QEII Foundation's We Are campaign.
The Stewart E. Allen Hybrid Operating Room, the MAZOR X spinal robot and the da Vinci Xi have collectively helped recruit seven surgeons to the QEII, most recently gynaecological oncology surgeon Dr. Jacob McGee.
Originally from southern Ontario, Dr. McGee joined the QEII operating team in February. On top of the future growth potential of the hospital’s gynaecological department and the province’s reputation as a fishing hot-spot, Dr. McGee is excited to use the hospital’s new donor-funded da Vinci Xi surgical robot.
“The QEII has done a great job in terms of program development, including securing resources like the da Vinci Xi. Having two robots, dedicated time in the O.R.’s for patients, and access to additional time — it’s what you require as a physician to really develop that skill set and then ultimately benefit patients. It also supports the prospect of developing a fellowship program here in gynecologic oncology, which is exciting.”
Dr. Zuhaib Mir, currently a fellow in advanced robotic hepatic, pancreatic, biliary (HPB) surgery in North Carolina, originally came to the QEII for a two-year fellowship within the hospital’s surgical team. The vision of a Centre of Excellence in Robotic Surgery has Dr. Mir signed on to return to Halifax to practice at the QEII, starting in August 2026.
“From a career standpoint my goal has always been to push the envelope with robotics. The discussions while I was a fellow in Halifax about wanting to expand its robotic surgery offerings and pursue becoming a Centre of Excellence in Robotic Surgery — the only one in Canada to date — aligned with my career goals. I’m looking forward to returning to the QEII. I think the hospital is a well-kept secret from a clinical standpoint. A lot of people don't think of the Maritimes and Halifax often as being a high-end destination for advanced surgical procedures, techniques and care, and that's just not true.”
The QEII is now one of only a few hospitals in Canada with seven surgical robots spanning multiple disciplines, including urology, gynaecologic oncology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, spine, and now expanded general, thoracic and hepatobiliary surgery. Six of these seven robots have been made possible through QEII Foundation donor support as part of the Foundation’s $100-million We Are campaign.
