A state-of-the-art surgical robot has been delivered to Ninewells Hospital to support the delivery of complex surgical procedures for patients with cancer.
The robot will deliver robotically assisted minimally invasive surgery in surgical cancer specialty areas, including: Colorectal; Upper Gastrointestinal; Urology; Gynaecology and Ear, Nose and Throat surgery.
It enables access to hard-to-reach areas of the body by mimicking a surgeon’s hand movements, making small incisions into a patient’s body allowing intricate procedures such as tumour and organ removal to be carried out with more precision.
For some patients, the site of a cancer can make it difficult for surgeons to safely operate and using the surgical robot can enable a surgeon to operate on these cancers more easily.
Other benefits for patients of robotically assisted surgery and its minimally invasive approach include reduced hospital-stay and quicker recovery, reduced pain, reduced complications, reduced blood loss
and improved patient outcomes.
NHS Tayside’s ENT Head and Neck Cancer Lead, consultant Jai Manickavasagam, who is one of the surgeons who will be using the robot 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 care for those patients requiring complex surgery as it is minimally invasive and, importantly, it enhances choices of treatment for patients with head and neck cancers.”
Over the coming months, the speciality surgeons who will be using this high-tech piece of equipment and their multidisciplinary theatre teams will complete a period of intensive training with the robotic surgery service due to go live later this year.