Pioneering robotic surgery begins in Sheffield
7 October 2013
PATIENTS being cared for at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are set to benefit from a new £1.8mn hi-tech robot helper.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will begin offering pioneering robotic surgery to patients following the acquisition of a multi-armed da Vinci Si robot – the most advanced type in the world.
The robot allows specially trained surgeons to perform delicate, complex and less invasive surgery from a sophisticated robotic platform.
This revolutionary technology will result in patients having improved surgical outcomes, a shorter recovery time and a reduced hospital stay.
The surgeon uses joysticks and foot pedals to work the robotic arms from a console, where they can use their eyes, hands and feet to control a 3D HD camera and specialised instruments attached to the arms. The camera is ten times more accurate than the human eye and with specially designed ‘wristed’ instruments, the surgeon can perform complex surgery through small incisions with precision, as the machine adjusts itself to compensate for the natural tremor in the human hand.
It is due to be installed in a new purpose-built theatre at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital – with the first operation due to take place on Monday, October 7. Patients across the region, including from Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, Chesterfield and Sheffield are expected to be among the first to benefit.
Kirsten Major, director of strategy and operations at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is fantastic news for patients in South Yorkshire as we can now offer world-class robotic surgery to treat prostate and kidney cancer. This represents a major investment in patient care and ensures that Sheffield remains as a leading centre of clinical care within the UK. Patients having robotic surgery can expect to recover a lot quicker and will hopefully have fewer complications and a good surgical outcome, so we are incredibly proud to be bringing this gold standard in patient care to the region.
David Throssell, medical director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “The da Vinci robot has an excellent safety record and makes the most of the surgeon’s skills to perform delicate and complex operations. Surgeons using the equipment will also be given extensive training in its use, and we hope that Sheffield will be become a centre of robotic surgery training in the future. We have worked closely with our colleagues in all of the local Clinical Commissioning Groups to bring this cutting-edge technology to our patients.”
The da Vinci Si robot will initially be used by urology surgeons at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Once the da Vinci Si robot technology is established, the equipment will also be used by other specialist surgeons to undertake hysterectomies, head and neck tumour removal, bowel cancer surgery and treatment of severe gynaecological problems such as endometriosis.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT:
Claudia Blake, Research and Innovation Communications Officer
Tel: 0114 226 5033
Email: claudia.blake@sth.nhs.uk
