Patients get a robotic ally in battle to beat cancer
A REVOLUTIONARY form of surgery which uses a state-of-the-art robot to remove tumours has treated more than 350 patients in its first 18 months.
The surgery, which has been described as the “gold standard” for prostate cancer treatment, has greatly improved outcomes since it was brought to the University Hospital of Wales in September 2014.
The groundbreaking techniques of the £2.5m robot make operations far less invasive, reduce blood loss and have helped to dramatically reduce patient recovery time.
Currently, the equipment is being used three days a week and solely on prostate cancer patients, but there is scope to use it for other procedures in the near future.
Krishna Narahari, a consultant urologist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said the new robotic service was having a positive impact in many ways.
He said: “The procedure involves more precise surgery, which means patients not only have better experience but also have a quicker recovery and are less likely to suffer a complication.
“The success of the robot is also helping to raise awareness of prostate cancer among men, which is a very important message.
“Luckily, there are a number of options for prostate cancer, robotic surgery being one of them, but the really important thing is for it to be detected early.”
The innovative robot has three different components – the robotic cart, the surgeon console and the endoscopic stack or column.
Consultant urologists use the surgeon console to look at a 3D image of the prostate and operate controls for the robot’s arms as they remove the cancerous lump.
Previously, the surgery was only available privately in England, but now it is being used on patients in Cardiff and Vale, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, Aneurin Bevan and Cwm Taf University Health Boards.
Mr Narahari added: “Recovery from open surgery normally takes about three to four days. But with this machine, the majority of patients stay overnight – or are even discharged the same day.”
Although prostate cancer affects only men, by 2030 it will be the UK’s most common cancer overall unless it can be reined in.
If the rising death trend is allowed to continue, by 2026 this killer disease will claim more than 14,500 men every year, 3,600 more than the 10,900 lost currently. That’s one man every 35 minutes.
Grandfather Alan Blackham, from Cregiau, opted to have his prostate cancer removed using the robot in March.
The 60-year-old first discovered he had the disease after discovering blood in his urine and later undergoing a biopsy. He now acts as a “buddy” for other men going through the process.
He said: “When I was first told I had prostate cancer, the only words I remember the consultant saying were, ‘I’m not giving you a life sentence’.
“That stuck in the back of my mind.”
After researching the robotic surgery on the internet, he said it was a “no-brainer” to undergo the prostatectomy using the surgical robot.
“The machinery makes the operation so much easier on the body,” said the dad-of-two.
“Even though it’s a robot carrying out the procedure, it’s the surgeon who is in control. The whole team were absolutely fabulous in the way they dealt with me.”
At present there are just five surgeons in Wales who can operate the robot, but a robust training programme has been put in place in a bid to increase that number.
Dr Graham Shortland, the medical director for Cardiff and Vale UHB, said there is hope the technology will be expanded into other surgical fields.
He added: “Robotic surgery has been a great investment for not only men in Cardiff and the Vale but across Wales.
“It’s a great example of Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, our 10-year strategic vision, in action and our commitment to creating outcomes that matter t to people, making better use of resources and excelling at teaching, research innovation and improvement.”