Robot gives surgeons a helping hand in first op

Surgeons in Cornwall have carried out the first procedure using a soft tissue robotic surgical system, which medics have hailed as "a major milestone for patient care" in the county.

The new robotic system operated by surgeons at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust was first used in an operation on 6 July.

James Clark, the trust's head of surgery who leads the soft tissue robotic surgical programme, said: "It was fantastic for patients that we are able to offer the quality of the best robotic surgery locally, rather than them having to travel out of county."

He said it allowed surgeons to operate with enhanced precision in small areas of the body which were difficult to reach.

Clark, who controlled the robotic arms from a console, said: "It just enables me to control it with with much greater precision than I would do manually.

"The dexterity that the robot has is far above what a human hand can offer."

He said it was "a very strange experience" as a surgeon at first.

The team have been training at a robotic centre in Belgium to "learn how to use the system to its best potential".

He said it "allows us to be safer and reduce blood loss".

He added: "I think it will allow patients to get home quicker.

"There are cases that we wouldn't have been able to do previously which we now can."

Clarke said it would save patients' journeys out of the county to Plymouth, Bristol and further afield to access the technology.

The trust said it planned to use it for patients undergoing treatment for a range of conditions, including cancers of the digestive and urinary systems, endometriosis and some metabolic conditions.

The equipment was funded with £2m from the NHS and support from Rotary Clubs across Cornwall, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity, and other fundraisers.

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