The first robotic colorectal operation in Sussex has been performed at Conquest Hospital, following the installation of a £2 million da Vinci XI robotic-assisted surgical system.
The robotic surgical team at Conquest Hospital
Mr Michail Klimovskij, Consultant Surgeon who is leading on this project said: “We are delighted to announce that we have recently performed the first robotic colorectal operation in Sussex.
“Since then we have carried out ten major robotic resections and they have proved to be less traumatic and we have got our patients back on track much faster because less analgesia needs to be used.
The surgical team being demonstrated the da Vinci XI robotic-assisted surgical system
“Our dedicated team has been absolutely brilliant and our robust training means we have got all of our skills up and running very quickly.
“We are now starting to do Gynaecology operations using this system. Patients have reported feeling less pain and recover faster, so the robotic system is making a difference.”
Robotic-assisted surgery uses new equipment to make much smaller cuts and special instruments controlled by professionals to carry out a number of different operations. Surgeons use things like 3D vision and other special instruments on the surgical robot for even greater accuracy during surgery.
The surgical team preparing the da Vinci XI robotic-assisted surgical system
These techniques offer some key advantages over conventional surgery and have proved to be less invasive with less blood loss and pain for patients. They are also more consistent and lower risk for a range of hospital procedures.