East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust has deployed the Da Vinci Xi surgical robotic system at its Lister Hospital, Stevenage, to assist in cancer operations.
Surgeons from the hospital’s urology department said the robot improves the efficiency of surgery in certain complex operations, leading to better outcomes for patients.
The first patient to benefit from this technology, built by robotic-assisted surgery company Intuitive, had prostate cancer and was considered high risk but was home less than 24 hours after successful surgery at Lister’s treatment centre.
Since the launch two months ago, more than 70 patients have had successful operations relating to cancers affecting organs such as the bladder, kidneys and prostate.
Urology consultant Nikhil Vasdev, said: “One of the big advantages of robotic surgery compared to traditional ‘open’ surgery is patients have less pain and recover more quickly.
“In my field of urology, blood loss for patients is lower with the robot and the length of stay in hospital is shorter as they go home within 24 hours rather than 3-5 days. And for the removal of prostate cancer, for example, the precision gained from using this robot means the chances of cancer being left behind is reduced.
“As a team we are already seeing the potentially life-changing benefits this advanced technology offers and we are proud to continue to be among the leaders in the field of robotics.”
The trust was an early adopter of robotic surgery, beginning in 2008. It has since invested in upgrades to the technology such as dual consoles so that trainees can see every step the operating surgeon takes, training robotic surgeons of the future.
The robotics programme expanded into the trust’s general surgical department in 2019 for operations on patients with colon or rectal cancer, with the gynaecology department following in December 2020.
A further expansion to include ear, nose and throat surgery is expected later this year.
Read more: Royal Surrey Hospital deploys surgical robots in cancer fight
