Surgical robot will ‘transform’ complex cancer surgery at Ninewells hospital
A state-of-the-art surgical robot delivered to Ninewells hospital in Tayside has the power to “transform” some complex surgeries, staff have said.
The robot will assist in some surgeries for patients with cancer,especiallyinurology,gynaecology and ear, nose and throat procedures.
For some patients, the site of a cancer can make it difficult for surgeons to safely operate andusingthesurgicalrobotcan enable a surgeon to operate on these cancers more easily.
The machine can access to hard-to-reachareasofthebody by mimicking a surgeon’s hand movements, making small incisions into a patient’s body and allowing intricate procedures such as tumour and organremovaltobecarriedout with more precision.
Other benefits for patients of robotically assisted surgery and its minimally invasive approachincludereducedhospital-stayandquickerrecovery, reduced pain, reduced complications,reducedbloodlossand improved patient outcomes, NHS Tayside said.
Surgeons set to use the robot will undergo intensive training in the coming months.
Jai Manickavasagam, head andneckcancerconsultantand oneofthesurgeonswhowilluse the robot to assist procedures, said: “Robotic assisted surgery will bring significant benefits for many patients.
“Robotic surgery, particularly if it is carried out in the head and neck areas, will transform careforthosepatientsrequiring complex surgery as it is minimally invasive and, importantly, it enhances choices of treatmentforpatientswithheadand neck cancers.”
It comes as NHS Tayside celebrated a year of new technologies introduced across the
health board during the pandemic, including colon capsules, a tiny camera inside a pill which when swallowed can help detect bowel cancer.
Since a pilot of the procedure was introduced in December, 2020, 50 patients have been through it as an alternative to colonoscopy.
Another pill technology is
soon to be introduced as an alternative to endoscopy.
Cytosponge is a small sponge on a string wrapped in a coated pill which takes samples of the lining of the gullet and can look for early signs of cancer.
Staff have undergone traininganditishopedthatthecytosponge will be in use in April.
Meanwhile, Ninewells will be involvedinatrialofusinganew type of ultraviolet light to kill airborne viruses such as Covid-19 in public places which has gained new funding from the UK government.
Theproject,ledbystandrews University along with Dundee University and NHS Tayside, has been awarded £296,000 from the Department of Health and Social Care.
Research has already found that a type of ultraviolet light known as FAR-UVC could be safely used to disinfect air in public places.
Now a £160,000 grant will allow researchers to measure skin safety in clinical trials at Ninewells hospital in Dundee.
Dr Ewan Eadie of Ninewells said: “FAR-UVC light has the potential to revolutionise the fight against airborne transmission of not just SARS-COV-2 and its mutant variants, but all airborne viruses including seasonal influenza.