12.12.19
Robotic lung surgery reaches 150 procedure milestone
More than 150 robotic lung surgery operations have been carried out by specialists at NHS Golden Jubilee National Hospital.
The dedicated thoracic (lung) robot has been assisting surgeons at the heart and lung centre for the past 18 months, meaning patients can recover quicker and experience less painful recoveries.
Using the robot for these procedures means less nerve damage is done and as a result the time spent in hospital is reduced, it has been hailed as the next frontier in minimally invasive surgery.
The innovative procedure involves the robot inserting rods into the patient’s body, through the surgeon’s control on a separate control pod. This transforms the procedure from a conventional keyhole and traditionally invasive surgery.
The robot’s dexterity is superior to a human’s and the wrist can bend and rotate with more precision, creating a completely steady motion to carry out the action, all of which Is overseen by colleagues on highly magnified 3D HD screens.
Lung surgeon Alan Kirk said:
“NHS Golden Jubilee has now surpassed the milestone of 150 robotic lung procedures, predominantly for people with lung cancer.
“Using traditional lung surgery, patients would be in hospital for six days and with video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) we reduced this to five days.
"Patients who have had a robotic procedure are generally now going home after four days – one patient was even home and carrying out normal activities in just two days, which is amazing.
“Robotic lung surgery is a natural extension of conventional keyhole surgery and we are delighted to see the improved patient outcomes we anticipated, such as less pain, smaller wounds and quicker recovery times and much less blood loss – all meaning people can get back to their normal lives quicker.
“We think in the long run this will also add value to the service as the less time people are spending in hospital the more cost-effective it is for the NHS as a whole.”
The benefits extend to the surgeons as well, as they can be seated as they do the operations, rather than bend over the operating table, preventing back problems and a shortened career.
NHS Golden Jubilee chief executive Jann Gardner said:
“NHS Golden Jubilee has always been a pioneer of using innovative surgery to deliver person-centred care for patients from across Scotland.
“Using our thoracic robot helps our progression as we advance into the future with an ambition to become a centre of excellence for robotics. This innovation shows our commitment to enhancing patient health and care and will provide better outcomes for everyone involved.”
Picture: Lung surgeon Alan Kirk with NHS Golden Jubilee's dedicated Da Vinci X robot
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