New surgical robot for Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Author: Grace McgachyPublished 20th Nov 2021

A robot is reportedly helping to tackle patient waiting lists at Frimley Health.

The NHS Trust says the latest robotic system to allow more patients to be treated with minimally invasive surgery and helps surgeons to perform complex keyhole operations.

It will be used for urology, colorectal and gynaecology procedures at Frimley Health.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust says the da Vinci Xi surgical system will increase the Trust’s daily surgical capacity by as much as a third, as the keyhole operations take less time than open surgery.

Consultant Urologist Muddassar Hussain, who was the first surgeon to use the new robotic system, said:

“Carrying out procedures with the da Vinci Xi brings many benefits for patients. The greater surgical precision results in lower blood loss and the smaller keyhole incisions cause less post-operative pain, and, subsequently, a shorter stay in hospital with a quicker recovery and return to normal activities.

“One of the most common operations we will use it for is partial nephrectomies which is where a cancerous part of the kidney is removed, and the remaining kidney is repaired with stitches. Operating with the da Vinci robot allows most of these patients to go home after only a single overnight stay, in comparison to open surgery which could result in a stay of up to five nights.”

The da Vinci Xi is the fourth robot to be purchased by the Trust.

Neil Dardis, Chief Executive, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said:

“We are delighted to be able to extend our robotic programme and expand the number of procedures we can perform with this latest innovation.

"For 12 years we have been at the forefront of robotic surgery across our acute hospitals and are deeply committed to investing in technology to provide the latest and best treatments for our patients.

"The new da Vinci Xi system will help us speed up access to care, improve outcomes for patients and allow them to return home sooner. “