Region’s patients among first to benefit from revolutionary robotic surgery

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was set to perform its first operation using its new £1.8m da Vinci Si robot at the city’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital yesterday.

The machine – the most advanced of its kind in the world – allows specially-trained surgeons to perform delicate, complex and less invasive procedures, with better results and shorter recovery times and hospital stays.

It will initially be used by urology surgeons to treat prostate and kidney cancer and eventually to perform hysterectomies and bowel cancer surgery, remove head and neck tumours and treat severe gynaecological problems.

Kirsten Major, director of strategy and operations at the trust, said: “This represents a major investment in patient care and ensures Sheffield remains a leading centre of clinical care in the UK.

“Patients having robotic surgery can expect to recover a lot quicker and 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.”

Leeds General Infirmary and Bradford Royal Infirmary are among a handful of hospitals already using the robots, which allow surgeons to perform complex surgery through small incisions with higher precision.

The machines, which are operated using joysticks and foot pedals, use 3D HD cameras that are 10 times more accurate than the human eye and adjust themselves to eliminate hand tremor.

David Throssell, medical director at the trust, said: “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 Sheffield will 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.”