A NEW robot-assisted surgical system is ‘revolutionising’ patient care since being adopted by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust.
The new DaVinci X surgical system allows the Trust to conduct a wider range of minimally invasive procedures.
The Trust says the new installation will ensure patients will be able to get precise operations including for prostate, kidney, bladder, bowel and throat.
Robot-assisted surgery allows complex operations to be carried out through small incisions, with surgeons using a console to control the systems arms and instruments.
The system has cut the length of patients’ hospital stays by 60 per cent – and has helped UHCW to become the first teaching Trust in the country to clear the number of patients waiting over two years for elective surgery since the pandemic began.
It has also seen a 66 per cent improvement in cancer outcomes.
UHCW NHS Trust’s CEO Professor Andy Hardy said: “For our patients, robotic-assisted surgery has huge benefits as it greatly reduces recovery times post-surgery meaning people can get back on their feet more quickly.
“We’re proud to be a pioneer in offering state-of-the-art care and, as one of 20 centres of excellence in the UK, we are being recognised for our approach to robotics on a local, regional and national level.
Barman Merlin Griffiths, who has featured on Channel 4’s reality TV show First Dates, recently underwent successful robotic-assisted surgery at UHCW NHS Trust.
Merlin underwent bowel cancer surgery to remove a tumour and shared his experience on social media in the days following his discharge from hospital.
He said: “I am very grateful to be provided with excellent care at UHCW as part of their surgical pathway, this includes state-of-the-art robotic-assisted surgery.
“The da Vinci robot has meant that my recovery has been far quicker than it would have been though traditional surgery, alongside the excellent care provided by the staff has meant that I was back on my feet in no time.
“People who need to undergo robotic-assisted surgery can be very confident that the system is hugely effective.”
The system was funded by £1.5million from Coventry Hospitals Charity.
