Over 2,000 get the benefits of robotic surgery
TWO robots are now operating regularly at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital.
One new Da Vinci Xi robot and one Xi model that has been on lease since September 2020 are working every week on cases in urology, colorectal, cardiothoracic and gynaecology surgery.
Robotic surgery involves tiny insertions into the body through which miniature-sized instruments are inserted.
The surgeon controls these instruments and retains control the whole time, so the robot never performs actions automatically.
Procedures now routinely undertaken robotically at New Cross include surgery for prostate, bladder and kidney cancers as well as non-cancer urological procedures; lung cancer resections along with a robust thoracic robotic programme; surgery for treatment of gynaecology cancers, including endometrial (womb) cancers; treatment of endometriosis; and colorectal resections.
Robotic operations may take longer than open or laparoscopic procedures, but there are multiple benefits to the patient, according to the hospital trust including shorter recovery times, less bleeding, reduced risk of infection and/or surgical complications, less post-operative pain, reduced length of stay in hospital and smaller scars.
Mr Pete Cooke, Consultant Urological Surgeon, introduced the first programme of urological robotic surgery in the West Midlands to the trust in 2011 and since then more than 2,000 patients have benefitted from the procedure.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved and proud that we’re still regarded as pioneers of this specialty in the West Midlands,” said Mr Cooke.
“We have remained at the forefront of robotic surgery and have developed into other specialties including cardiothoracic, gynaecology and colorectal. Over the last decade there have been a number of changes in robotic surgery, and the machines now offer advanced features with the ability to do ever more complex operations.”
One of its biggest advantages is its dexterity, with the robot even able to peel the skin of a grape.
Mr David Mak, Consultant Urological Surgeon, said: “We can do operations much better and more accurately with the robot than with either standard keyhole or open surgery, mainly because of the precision the robot gives us.”