16 November 2021

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has invested in the latest robotic system to allow more patients to be treated with minimally invasive surgery.

The new system helps surgeons to perform complex keyhole operations and will be used for urology, colorectal and gynaecology procedures at Frimley Health.

The da Vinci Xi surgical system will increase the Trust’s daily surgical capacity by as much as a third, as the keyhole operations take less time than open surgery. Its flexibility gives surgeons greater access to the surgical site and by creating a smaller entry wound it reduces the risk of infection and enables patients to recover from their operations more quickly.

The arrival of the da Vinci Xi will allow surgeons to increase the number of complex operations they perform robotically and, as it includes a second surgical console, more surgeons can be trained to use the technology.  

Consultant Urologist Muddassar Hussain, who was the first surgeon to use the new robotic system, said: “Carrying out procedures with the da Vinci Xi brings many benefits for patients. The greater surgical precision results in lower blood loss and the smaller keyhole incisions cause less post-operative pain, and, subsequently, a shorter stay in hospital with a quicker recovery and return to normal activities.

“One of the most common operations we will use it for is partial nephrectomies which is where a cancerous part of the kidney is removed, and the remaining kidney is repaired with stitches. Operating with the da Vinci robot allows most of these patients to go home after only a single overnight stay, in comparison to open surgery which could result in a stay of up to five nights.”

The da Vinci Xi is the fourth robot to be purchased by the Trust. It was one of the earliest adopters of robotic-assisted systems with the first da Vinci model introduced in 2009. In October 2020, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust was also one of the first hospital trusts to use the state-of-the-art Versius robot and the first to use the system for a urology procedure. The Trust has since performed a wide range of keyhole procedures on hundreds of patients and is the only Trust to use da Vinci Xi and the Versius systems for both colorectal and urology procedures.

Neil Dardis, Chief Executive, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are delighted to be able to extend our robotic programme and expand the number of procedures we can perform with this latest innovation. For 12 years we have been at the forefront of robotic surgery across our acute hospitals and are deeply committed to investing in technology to provide the latest and best treatments for our patients. The new da Vinci Xi system will help us speed up access to care, improve outcomes for patients and allow them to return home sooner. “

We recently welcomed Sky News in to cover this fantastic story. You can watch their report here.